Myanmar national jailed for commercial sex with student, 16

A Myanmar national became the seventh man to be jailed for having commercial sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Lu Maw, 34, who is a permanent resident, was sentenced to 12 weeks' jail on Monday.

He was an engineer at the time he paid $220 for the sexual services of the minor at a flat in Jurong East Street 24 on March 1 last year.

The minor, who is now 17, was procured by pimp Malcolm Graham Head as a prostitute in October 2012 after tricking her into believing that she was going to work as a social escort and earn high pay quickly.

Head and his girlfriend, Veronica Patricia Rio, 19, who helped him in the vice business, knew that the minor had just turned 16 years old and was still schooling.

The girl subsequently realised that she was to provide sexual services of all kinds to the clients secured by either Head or Rio.

At times when the minor did not want to serve clients, she would be fed Ice, the common name for methamphetamine, to keep her awake, or she would be assaulted by the couple.

Lu Maw chanced upon Head's advertisement on the website and booked the minor's services on Feb 28 last year.

When told that her services would cost $280 for two hours, he managed to negotiate for a price of $220.

The next day, the minor proceeded to the void deck of the block where he lived and met him. They went to the flat and had sex. He did not try to verify her age.

His lawyer said he had lost his job and his wife had left him with their only child.

The accused could have been jailed for up to seven years and/or fined for commercial sex with a person under 18 years old.

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