A construction worker was jailed for 11 weeks on Monday for commercial sex with an underage prostitute.

Zhou Mingfeng, 47, admitted paying $70 for the sexual services of the 17-year-old girl at Lai Ming Hotel in Geylang Road on May 27. Both are from China.

A district court heard that the girl arrived here with one Tang Huisheng, 36, her pimp, on May 16 to make money. On May 27, Zhou was walking around Lorong 23 Geylang looking for prostitutes when the girl approached him and offered sexual services to him. They agreed on a price of $70 and had sex in the hotel room.

The girl was arrested near Lorong 22 Geylang on June 1 by Criminal Investigation Department officers on suspicion of providing commercial sex while underage.

Zhou, whose sentence was backdated to his remand on July 16, could have been jailed for up to seven years and/or fined.