Teen in children's home preyed on underage boy

SINGAPORE - A teenage boy, already serving probation at a children's home for performing sexual acts on a minor, reoffended and preyed on a 14-year-old boy who was a fellow resident.

For performing consensual sexual acts on the minor, the now 18-year-old offender was sentenced to 18 months' probation on Tuesday (Sept 18). He had pleaded guilty last month to two counts of sexual penetration involving the underage boy.

A third charge for a similar offence was considered during sentencing.

The offender's name, and details of the home they were residents of, cannot be revealed due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity.

As part of his sentence, the offender must perform 40 hours of community service and his mother was also bonded for $5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.

The Straits Times understands that he is not serving the probation in a home, and is now working in a cafe.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Asoka Markandu said that the first incident occurred at around 10pm on Oct 9, 2016, while the two teenagers were in the living room of the children's home.

The younger teen did not resist at first but he later tried to push the offender away.

The next day, the pair had sex in a toilet cubicle in Nex shopping mall, the court heard.

At around 6.30pm that day, the head of the home's social work department alerted police to the boys' activities.

Court documents did not reveal how he discovered the offences.

For each count of sexual penetration involving a minor, the older teen could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

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