SINGAPORE - A youth convinced three girls to send him intimate pictures of themselves and threatened to circulate them if the trio did not give in to his demands.

The Singaporean offender, now 20, pleaded guilty in a district court on Tuesday (Nov 2) to 10 charges for offences that included having sex with a minor and criminal intimidation. Thirteen other charges will be considered during sentencing.

He cannot be named, as he was just 16 years old when he started his crime spree in May 2018. Young people below 18 are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act.

His first victim was his schoolmate and she was just 13 years old when they became a couple in April 2018.

The pair then had unprotected sex with each other multiple times and he also obtained a picture of her in the nude.

In November that year, the girl decided to end their relationship, as the sex acts were making her feel "extremely disgusted".

The offender then told the girl that he would circulate her nude picture if she did not reconcile with him.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Lim said: " The first victim begged him to not do so, although she was resolute in not reconciling. He continued to try to convince her not to break up but she did not waver.

"A week after the break-up, he threatened to circulate her nude photo unless she sent him more nude photos featuring her face."

The girl gave in and sent him a picture of herself topless, as she felt that she had "no choice".

Despite this, the youth continued to pester her until she finally told her father about her ordeal. She made a police report in December 2018.

The youth met his second victim, then 14 years old, on an undisclosed messaging platform the following year.

On April 24, 2019, he asked the girl for her nude pictures and threatened to share a screenshot of one of their chats on a sexually suggestive matter with her mother if she did not comply.

The second victim refused to give in multiple times but he persisted with his threats. She finally relented and sent him her topless picture.

The youth later propositioned the girl for sex but she rejected his advances.

He met his third victim, now 17, in 2019, and she also sent him her nude pictures.

On May 11 that year, he asked the girl for more nude photographs and threatened to circulate the ones he had earlier obtained from her if she did not give in to his demands.

The DPP said: "On May 12, 2019, the accused told her that there would be new rules, and demanded the victim send him nude photographs every day or he would circulate her details and nude photographs. She complied by sending him another photograph."

Feeling "very threatened", she made a police report later that day, and officers arrested the youth on July 15, 2019.

On Tuesday, the court called for reports to assess his suitability for probation and reformative training.

Under reformative training, offenders will be detained in a centre and made to follow a strict regimen that includes foot drills and counselling.

The youth is expected to be sentenced next month.