SINGAPORE - Two men - one aged 21 and the other 60 - were sentenced to jail on Thursday (April 1) for molesting underage boys in unrelated incidents.

The offences involved Malaysian Clement Tan Jun Yan, who targeted four boys, and Singaporean Mohamed Taha Ahmad, who molested one.

Tan, 21, will spend 18 months behind bars after pleading guilty to two counts of molestation involving two boys. Two similar charges linked to the other victims were considered during sentencing.

The court heard that Tan was at Yishun Bus Interchange at around 9pm on Aug 2 last year when he spotted a 15-year-old boy and took a liking to him.

The pair later boarded the same bus, alighted near a block of flats in Yishun and entered a lift.

Tan molested the boy as the latter was exiting the lift and he left the vicinity soon after.

The boy told his parents about the attack and his mother alerted the police the next day. Officers arrested Tan on Aug 5 last year.

He was out on bail when he molested a 13-year-old boy who was on his way to school on bus service 812 at around 7am on Oct 23 last year.

The teenager later told his form teacher about what had happened, the court heard.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Niranjan Ranjakunalan told the court on Thursday that Tan had admitted to having "sexual interest" towards "young males who are mainly in the secondary school age group".

Tan, who was unrepresented, told the court that he was unable to control his sexual desires owing to his "stress" at work. His occupation was not revealed in court documents.

The other offender sentenced on Thursday was 60-year-old Taha, who has an adult daughter and uses a walking stick.

He admitted to a molestation charge involving a 12-year-old boy and was sentenced to 14 months' jail.

The court heard that Taha was at Bedok Interchange at around 10am on Oct 22 last year when he noticed the boy before they boarded bus service 225G. The pair later alighted near a block of flats at Bedok North Street 3.

The DPP said: "There, the accused asked the victim if he could help him with something without specifying the help allegedly required. The victim agreed to help the accused and followed him.

"The accused and the victim then took (a) lift together. Inside the lift, the accused asked the victim what size his underwear was. The victim was shocked."

Taha then offered the boy $10 to allow him to check the size of the youngster's underwear.

The boy took the cash without saying anything and they went to a staircase landing when the doors opened. Taha then molested the boy who pushed his hand away.

The court heard that the child wanted to return the $10 but Taha insisted that he keep the money.

Taha left the vicinity soon after. On Oct 23 last year, the boy told a teacher in his school about what had happened and lodged a police report later that day.

Taha is out on bail of $8,000. He will start his jail term on May 17 after celebrating Hari Raya Puasa earlier that month.