Jailed for sex with two underage girls

The two girls he met through an Internet chatline were younger than 16, but that did not stop 24-year-old Ahmad Kamal from getting both pregnant.

On Friday, the court heard how Ahmad, who was sentenced to 30 months in jail for having sex with the two minors, even encouraged one to miscarry. He told the girl to "eat copious amounts of pineapple" in the belief that this could help.

As for the other victim, he told her he would not take any responsibility for the pregnancy and broke off contact.

One of the babies was eventually aborted. The other will be put up for adoption.

Pleading for leniency, the unemployed Ahmad said he had to help his parents support his 11 siblings. But District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim said the Internet was not meant to be used the way Ahmad had done.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz called for at least a 15-month jail term for each of the four charges Ahmad had pleaded guilty to. Five other charges were taken into consideration.

She told the court how Ahmad had befriended both girls online, and then met up with them, for just one reason: to have sex with them.

Ahmad had sex with the girls, then aged 15 and 14, on nine different occasions between January and March this year. He committed the offences at staircase landings at HDB blocks in Taman Jurong, Clementi and Bedok.

DPP Sripathy-Shanaz said his indifference and failure to offer any assistance after learning about the pregnancies were "deplorable". The maximum penalty for having sex with a minor under 16 is 10 years in jail and a fine.

pohian@sph.com.sg

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