A construction worker became the 24th man to be jailed on Friday for engaging in commercial sex with a 17-year-old girl from China, who was forced into prostitution by her pimp.

Li Zhiguang, 38, who quit his job recently, admitted to paying $60 for the sexual services of the native from Shandong, China, at a hotel in Geylang in May last year.

He was given 11 weeks' jail.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said the minor had sought the help of Tang Huisheng, 37, and his sister, as she needed the money to pay for her late father's medical debts.

Tang, a Chinese national, acted as her pimp and forced her to come to Singapore to work as a prostitute, threatening to harm her family if she said no.

On a day between May 21 and 24, she approached Li near Lorong 22 Geylang and asked if he wanted to go to a hotel. He understood that she was offering him sexual services, and they had sex.

The minor was arrested on June 1 near Lorong 22 on suspicion that she had been involved in providing commercial sex to numerous men while underage.

So far, 26 men have been hauled to court for commercial sex with the same minor. Two have yet to be dealt with.

The maximum penalty is seven years' jail and a fine.