Man jailed 12 months for underage sex

Xavier Liew Shuang Yuen, 25, was jailed for 12 months on Thursday (May 18) for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

SINGAPORE - A polytechnic student was jailed for 12 months on Thursday (May 18) for having sex with a 13-year-old girl he came to know through a social media platform.

Xavier Liew Shuang Yuen, 25, who faced two charges, admitted to sexual penetration of a minor at his home in Clementi West Street 2 in June 2014.

The other charge of oral sex was taken into consideration in sentencing.

A district court heard that sometime in May or June 2014, the victim became acquainted with Liew through BeeTalk, a mobile phone app. He was using the moniker Valens.

They started chatting. Initially, he told her that he was 18 but later said he was actually 22 while the victim told him her age.

Three days later, Liew asked the victim to meet him at Clementi Mall and she agreed.

Sometime in June, he told her to take a bus from Clementi bus interchange and alight after one or two stops.

She complied and walked to an HDB block where she met Liew who took her to his home. No one else was in the flat.

After a shower, he sat beside the victim on his bed and started to hug and touch her. He told her to remove his clothes but she replied that she did not want to have sex.

Liew told the victim to relax and that he was not going to have sex with her. But they ended up having sex.

The victim made a police report on Aug 21, 2015.

In his mitigation plea, Liew's lawyer James Ow Yong said that his client did well in national service and has a bright future ahead of him.

He said Liew's offence was "completely" out of character. His client now realises the folly of his impulsive choices, is remorseful, and wants to take responsibility, he said.

District Judge Kenneth Yap said it was incumbent on Liew who was older and mature enough of age not to take advantage of the victim, who was vulnerable.

He hoped that Liew would learn from this.

Liew could have been jailed for up to 20 years, fined or caned for sexual penetration of a person below 14 years of age.

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