SINGAPORE — A teenager was on her way to the bus stop in a public housing estate when a man approached her in a car to ask for directions. While she was assisting him, the man offered her money to perform a sex act on him.

Bryan Pek Cheng Kun, 29, was sentenced on Wednesday (Aug 16) to one week's jail after pleading guilty to insulting the modesty of the teenager, who cannot be named due to a court order.

The court heard that prior to this incident, Pek had been convicted of managing a brothel and living on the earnings of a prostitute.

WHAT HAPPENED

Pek was driving along Saujana Road, in a public housing estate in Bukit Panjang, at close to midnight on March 25 this year when he saw a young woman walking towards the bus stop.

He stopped his car by the side of the road, wound down his window and called out to her, asking for directions to "block 500-plus".

As she was checking the map on her phone, Pek asked her how old she was.

When she told him that she was 18, he went on to ask if she wanted to "earn money" and offered her S$300 to perform a sex act on him, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur.

Despite the woman firmly saying no, Pek persisted and increased his offer to S$500.

When she refused again, Pek asked her how much she wanted and told her to touch him. 

He also asked what the size of her bra cup was, before commenting that her "body figure looked nice".

He then asked if the size of her bra cup was a "C", to which the teenager said no and told him to find his own way.

She walked off but Pek followed her in his car and commented on her figure, asking if she wanted to "show" it.

When she refused yet again, Pek offered to get out from his car to help her take her clothes off.

At this point, the teenager called her father and told him what had happened while Pek drove off.

Seeking a sentence of one to three weeks' jail, DPP Kaur said that the teenager suffered emotional and psychological harm due to the incident.

She has had flashbacks of the incident, which caused her to be on a constant lookout whenever she was in a public area. 

Pek had been brazen and persistent with his lewd comments even after the teenager had turned him down, DPP Kaur added.

In delivering her sentence, District Judge Chee Min Ping agreed with the prosecution that Pek had persistently insulted the modesty of the victim, and that his comments had demonstrable harm as the teenager was alone.

For insulting the modesty of the teenager, Pek could have been jailed for up to one year, fined or both.