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A former religious teacher was on June 30 ordered to undergo reformative training for at least six months for getting a 12-year-old girl to perform a sexual act on him.
The 20-year-old youth had met the girl at a mosque, and committed the offence at a block of flats.
During reformative training, young offenders are detained in a centre to undergo a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said the youth had committed a serious offence, and there was a need to incorporate an element of deterrence.
The judge noted the crime involved skin-to-skin contact with the girl, and there was a significant age gap between the pair.
The offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to committing an indecent act with a child.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng told the court the youth was the girl’s religious teacher in early 2025 and taught her three classes in a group setting involving five to six pupils.
He then obtained all of the pupils’ contact details and created a chat group with them to send lesson notes.
After one of the lessons, he spent time with the victim and bought her lunch and chocolates.
She told her mother about it and the woman complained to the mosque. Subsequently, the youth was removed from his post.
However, he and the girl secretly entered into a romantic relationship.
He met the victim on May 8, 2025, and they went to a multi-storey carpark, where he kissed and groped her.
Five days later, they went to a staircase landing at a Housing Board block.
He asked the child to perform oral sex on him, but she refused to do so.
She eventually performed another sexual act on him.
They eventually broke up after other parties, who were not identified in court, found out about their relationship.
The girl told her mother about the sex act and the woman lodged a police report in July 2025.
On June 30, the offender asked to be given probation, adding that he was remorseful. He told the judge his parents regularly check his phone to monitor his activities.
The 20-year-old youth had met the girl at a mosque, and committed the offence at a block of flats.
During reformative training, young offenders are detained in a centre to undergo a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said the youth had committed a serious offence, and there was a need to incorporate an element of deterrence.
The judge noted the crime involved skin-to-skin contact with the girl, and there was a significant age gap between the pair.
The offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to committing an indecent act with a child.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng told the court the youth was the girl’s religious teacher in early 2025 and taught her three classes in a group setting involving five to six pupils.
He then obtained all of the pupils’ contact details and created a chat group with them to send lesson notes.
After one of the lessons, he spent time with the victim and bought her lunch and chocolates.
She told her mother about it and the woman complained to the mosque. Subsequently, the youth was removed from his post.
However, he and the girl secretly entered into a romantic relationship.
He met the victim on May 8, 2025, and they went to a multi-storey carpark, where he kissed and groped her.
Five days later, they went to a staircase landing at a Housing Board block.
He asked the child to perform oral sex on him, but she refused to do so.
She eventually performed another sexual act on him.
They eventually broke up after other parties, who were not identified in court, found out about their relationship.
The girl told her mother about the sex act and the woman lodged a police report in July 2025.
On June 30, the offender asked to be given probation, adding that he was remorseful. He told the judge his parents regularly check his phone to monitor his activities.
