Teenager pleads guilty to sexual acts with underage boy from children's home

SINGAPORE: A 17-year-old boy on Wednesday (Aug 15) pleaded guilty to performing sexual acts on an underage boy who lived in the same children's home as he did.

Both boys cannot be named due to gag orders.

The name of the children's home was redacted from court documents.

The head of the social work department at the home informed the police on Oct 10, 2016 that he had discovered the two boys having sex.

Court documents showed that the two boys were in the living room at the children's home on Oct 9, where they discussed previous relationships they had with other male friends.

The accused, who was then 16, then proceeded to molest and perform a sexual act on the victim, who was then 14.

The next morning, the victim - accompanied by the accused - left for school. The pair took a bus to Serangoon bus interchange under NEX mall, court documents said.

There, the older boy led the younger one to a toilet in the mall. They both entered the same cubicle.

The accused performed a sexual act on the victim, before asking him to have sex.

The 17-year-old teenager has admitted to two charges of sexual penetration of a minor, with a third charge to be taken into consideration for sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Asoka Markandu asked for a reformative training report.

The accused's defence lawyer said that the boy has been monitored by a social worker and has not committed similar offences since the last incident.

He urged the court to consider probation in order to help the accused reform and rehabilitate. He also added that the boy is seeing a psychiatrist.

District Judge Eddy Tham called for probation and reformative training reports and adjourned sentencing to next week. The accused was remanded.

The maximum punishment for sexual penetration of a minor under 16 is 10 years' jail, a fine, or both.