A full-time national serviceman was sentenced to 21 months' probation after he molested a seven-year-old girl and used his mobile phone to film himself touching her.

The clip was found on the youth's laptop when the police investigated him for a separate upskirt offence.

Both offences were committed while he was a polytechnic student.

The 20-year-old Singaporean was sentenced yesterday after he pleaded guilty to one count each of molestation and insulting a woman's modesty.

As part of his sentence, he has to remain indoors from 10pm to 6am every day and perform 40 hours of community service.

He is prohibited from using mobile phones, tablets or any devices with attached cameras.

His mother and stepfather were also bonded for $5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.

The court heard that the first incident happened on Feb 14, 2018.

The youth was on his way home at around 5.15pm when he spotted the seven-year-old girl and her friend at a fitness corner in Bukit Panjang.

He approached the victim and asked the child if she would like to use the pull-up bar in the exercise area.

The youth lifted her to the bar and while she was hanging from it, he took out his mobile phone and activated his camera.

He then molested the girl while recording a video before helping her down.

Deputy Public Prosecutor V. Jesudevan said that the youth deleted the video from his phone after transferring it to his laptop.

At around 11.30am on July 5 last year, he decided to target a 31-year-old woman who was standing in front of him on an escalator at Choa Chu Kang LRT station.

The DPP said: "The victim was alerted to the accused person's actions when the handphone came into contact with her thigh."

The woman then held onto the offender's mobile phone and led him to the control station.

The police were alerted soon after. For insulting a woman's modesty, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined.