A man who abetted a former colleague to engage in commercial sex with a 16-year-old boy was sentenced to a total of 15 months' jail on Monday.

Ricky Johnson Lee, 21, pleaded guilty to three charges - abetting Subbramaniam Karichiappan, 43, to obtain the teen's sexual services for $50; pretending to be a cop; and stealing $115 from a construction cleaner.

A district court heard earlier that Lee met Subbramaniam, who is married, in end-2009 while they were working in a cleaning company. Lee would allow Subbramaniam to engage in sexual activities with him in exchange for money.

On April 16 last year, Lee received a call from Subbramaniam to meet the following day. Lee then asked the minor, a friend, if he was keen in allowing Subbramaniam to have oral sex with him in exchange for money. The minor agreed as he wanted to earn some money.

The next day, Lee took the minor to Subbramaniam's flat in Boon Lay Drive where Subbramaniam performed oral sex on both Lee and the minor and paid them $100 and $50 respectively.

The court heard that in an unrelated matter Lee had posed as a cop and demanded the work permit of Indian national Nagaraj Narashiman, 30, at Jurong Central Park on April 21 this year. He also stole $115 from the victim whose cries for help led to Lee being detained by a group of passers-by.

He could have been jailed for up to seven years and/or fined for abetting in commercial sex. For pretending to be a cop, the maximum penalty is two years and a fine; and for theft, three years and a fine.