Man gets 12-month jail sentence for sex with 12-year-old girl

SINGAPORE — Odd job worker Xavier Lee Wei Jie was sentenced to 12 months’ jail today (July 9), after being convicted of having underaged sex with a Secondary One student.

According to court documents, Lee, 24, had gotten to know the 12-year-old girl through mutual friends at West Mall on March 17. The girl cannot be named as she is a minor.

At about 10pm, the group moved to an area near Bukit Batok Town Park to hang out.

Later that night, Lee invited the girl to his flat at Block 283, Bukit Batok East Avenue 3, and they arrived there between 2am and 3am. While chatting about their daily lives and families in his bedroom, the pair started to get intimate by kissing and hugging.

Lee eventually persuaded the girl to have unprotected sex with him. After that, they rested in the flat till the afternoon, before leaving for West Mall.

The girl later told family members about the incident, and her mother lodged a police report at Clementi Neighourhood Police Centre on March 29.

Despite Lee pleading guilty, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelly Ho pointed out to the court that he was “recalcitrant”, having re-offended “barely three months” after being released from jail last December.

Lee had served time for moneylending offences, and he had also jumped bail previously.

DPP Ho added that the victim was initially unwilling in this case, and only consented to having sex after being persuaded by Lee, who was twice her age then.

Before delivering the sentence, which was backdated to June 12, the district judge asked if Lee had anything to add.

“Sorry, Your Honour,” responded Lee.

The maximum penalty for underaged sex is 10 years imprisonment, a fine, or both.