When the victim asked why he looked older than 15, he lied and said it was "in his genes".

File photo of the State Courts of Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)

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The Singaporean, now aged 25, who cannot be named due to gag orders protecting the identity of two victims, pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory rape, one count of sexual grooming of a minor and one count of sexual penetration of a minor.

Another 14 charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that the offender held various jobs such as a banquet server, warehouse assistant, swimming teacher, clerk and luge operator.

In August 2023, when the offender was 22 years old, he matched with a 13-year-old girl on a Telegram bot.

The offender knew the girl's age, as she stated it in her profile.

Although the offender lied in his profile that he was 15, the girl asked him about his age as he looked older in his photos.

The offender maintained that he was 15 and said it was "just in his genes" that he looked older. He also lied that he was going to the Singapore Sports School.

At first, the girl felt wary of him but continued to communicate with him as she found him funny and interesting to talk to.

The offender discussed sex acts with the victim and asked to meet her in person sometime between August 2023 and September 2023.

When the girl first saw him, she found that he looked even older in real life and asked his age.

The young man continued to lie that he was 15 and repeated that it was his genes that made him look older.

The court heard that the victim would not have consented to any initial sexual activity had she known his true age, as she would have been wary of him given the age difference.

The offender then took the girl to a staircase landing of a multi-storey car park in Tampines where he asked the girl to kiss him and perform sex acts on him.

The girl, who had not engaged in any sexual activity before this, complied.

After the first meeting, the offender asked the victim to be his girlfriend and she agreed.

They met at the staircase landing almost every week between September 2023 and November 2023 for sexual acts while the girl was in her school uniform.

Sometime in January 2024, when the girl was still 13, the offender asked her if she wanted to have sex with him.

Initially, the girl was uncomfortable but relented on persuasion.

The offender then raped her at the staircase landing.

Afterwards, the girl cried as she felt guilty and worried that she might become pregnant.

The offender comforted her and assured her that she would not.

They had other sexual encounters. In March 2024, the girl chanced upon a medical document belonging to the offender and deduced that he was actually around 23 years old.

After having sex at the staircase landing in September 2024, the couple decided to take a break from their relationship for reasons not specified in court papers.

While the offender was with the first victim in February 2024, he started texting another girl, who was then 12.

He lied on his profile that he was 16, in order to increase his chances of matching with young girls on the Telegram bot.

He lied to the second victim that he was turning 16 and studying in a secondary school.

He initiated sexual conversations with the girl, asking her if she was willing to be "friends with benefits" and requesting naked photos.

He also sent sexual videos of himself to the girl.

In February 2024, the offender asked to meet the girl for a sex act.

The girl agreed and the offender travelled to meet her. They went to the staircase landing on the highest floor of a building and the offender asked the girl to perform a sex act on him.

The girl declined and they parted ways.

Shortly after, the offender sent the girl a text saying "waste my time, man".

On Feb 26, 2024, this girl's form teacher conducted a spot check on her phone and came across messages from the offender.

The girl's grandparents were informed and a police report was lodged.

Some seven months later, in late September 2024, the first victim's brother came across sexually explicit messages with the offender and confronted her.

He also told their parents about it and the girl admitted that she had had sex with the offender, who was her boyfriend.

Her family took her to lodge a police report that same day and the offender was arrested and remanded.

The prosecution sought at least 11 years' jail and 10 strokes of the cane, noting the use of deception and the risk of the first victim contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

The offender also has past convictions for sexual offences and was given probation and community service for molestation and insulting the modesty of female victims aged 10 and 13.

The prosecutors said a stiff sentence must be passed to deter similar offenders who may prowl the internet seeking to engage in sexual activities with minors, who are vulnerable to the schemes of an adult by virtue of their age.

For rape, an offender can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.

For sexual penetration of a minor above 14 but below 16, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.

For sexual grooming of a minor below the age of 14, an offender can be jailed for up to four years, fined, or both. The maximum jail term is three years if the minor is above 14.

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