A man admitted to raping his cousin 14 years ago, when she was eight, and he, in his teens. The accused, who is now 31, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one of three charges of raping his young cousin at a staircase landing of a Housing Board flat in the north sometime in mid-1999. His cousin is now 22 years old.

A district court heard that the victim had been living in the same flat as the accused, her aunt and second uncle because her own parents were then in the midst of divorce proceedings. She moved out in 2001 after residing there for three years.

Sometime in 1999, the accused, then 17, was waiting to be enlisted for national service when he watched a pornographic VCD and became sexually aroused. He later became addicted to watching such VCDs.

In mid-1999, the victim and the accused went to buy some food from a provision store at the void deck. After buying some items, the pair were in the lift when he suddenly recalled the sex scenes he had been watching on the pornographic VCDs and wanted to try having sex. He took the victim to the staircase landing but abandoned the idea as a passer-by had just walked past them, and he was afraid.

He decided to wait for a few days before trying again. About a week later, he again took her to the staircase landing after having bought dinner for the family. He then raped her and warned her not to tell anyone about what he had done.

The victim only made a police report in August, 2011. The accused will be sentenced on Jan 29. He faces up to 20 years' jail, fine or caning.

The prosecution highlighted several aggravating factors when it urged the court to impose a jail term of at least six years and caning on the accused, who was a deliveryman at the time of his arrest.