Reformative training for teen sex offenders

Reformative training for teen sex offenders

A teen who had sex with three underage girls he befriended on Facebook was sentenced to reformative training on Wednesday.

Muhammad Nor Aszroy Zaidon, who turns 17 today, was convicted of three charges of consensual sex with three girls aged 12, 13 and 14.

He was also convicted of helping a loan shark by opening a savings account and handing over his bank ATM card to the man's runner for his illegal business.

Aszroy faced nine charges in all.

A Community Court heard that he had underage sex with a Primary 6 pupil in October 2011, but was let off with a stern warning in May last year, provided he did not re-offend within 12 months.

But two months later, he was back to his old ways.

He got to know a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and had sex with her on a staircase landing at his Teck Whye Lane block.

He committed a similar offence with a 14-year-old at his home in August that year.

The prosecution on Wednesday sought a term of reformative training, saying Aszroy lacked supervision from his care-givers and did not have empathy with his victims.

His conduct in school was also poor and he did not get along with his father and stepmother. Community Court Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan agreed and ordered Aszroy to undergo a period of reformative training.

elena@sph.com.sg

A 17 year-old teenager has gone from probation to the Singapore Boys' Hostel and now reformative training after having sex with two minors.

Peh Jun Jie, who pleaded guilty to both charges on Tuesday, will spend the next 11/2 to three years at the Reformative Training Centre in Changi, where he will undergo a strict regime of foot drills, counselling and vocational training.

He was on 18 months' probation for theft and endangering the safety of others when he got to know a 13-year-old girl through friends in April last year.

That very month, they had sex in the toilet of his Woodlands home.

A month later, he was remanded for a year at the Singapore Boys' Hostel for breaching his probation order.

Undeterred, he got to know a 15-year-old girl through social networking site Facebook.

When he was on home leave from the hostel between August and September last year, he had sex with her in his home's bedroom. That same month, she went to the police.

It is an offence to engage in any sexual act with a person below the age of 16 years.

Those convicted could be jailed for up to 10 years; or fined, or both.

The court issued a gag order in this case to protect the identities of the two victims.

KHUSHWANT SINGH


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