Youth gets probation for underage sex

THE two young people were in a relationship when they had sex at his home twice over the past year. The problem was that the girl, who turns 15 on Saturday, was underage on both occasions.

The girl, a Secondary 3 student, was examined in hospital and found to be four months' pregnant on June 20.

Yesterday, her boyfriend, 17, who works as a packer, was placed on 18 months' probation after pleading guilty to one count of underage sex, committed on July 1 last year.

A similar count from the second occasion, committed this January, was taken into consideration during sentencing.

The court heard that the teenagers got to know each other through mutual friends in February last year. They began communicating directly after he obtained her mobile phone number, and they entered into a relationship on April 23 last year.

Both offences took place in the boy's flat in Bukit Panjang.

For having sex with a person under the age of 16, he could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.

pohian@sph.com.sg

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