Jail for former youth worker who had sex with underage ex-resident of home

SINGAPORE – A youth worker at a home for young people in need of protection from abuse took advantage of an underage former resident who had a crush on him, initiating a romantic relationship with the girl.

The man then pressured the 15-year-old victim to engage in various sexual acts until she gave in.

On Oct 29, the 31-year-old offender was sentenced to two years and six months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually penetrating a minor.

Five other charges were considered during his sentencing.

Details about the man and the home cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the girl’s identity.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng told the court that the victim stayed at the home due to family violence.

The man’s duties at the home did not formally involve her.

After the girl was scheduled to move to another home in 2022, she wrote farewell cards to various staff members, including the offender.

In her note to him, she included her mobile number and her Instagram details.

The girl then personally passed the farewell note to the offender as she had a crush on him, said the DPP.

After the victim moved out, the man contacted her via messaging platform Telegram in March that year.

They chatted regularly even though the man knew that he was not supposed to contact his workplace’s current and former residents in his personal capacity.

In the following month, they decided to meet, and the man picked her up from school in a rented car.

He drove to a carpark where they chatted and held hands. The girl also agreed to be his girlfriend.

The pair started meeting more frequently, with the man usually picking the girl up from school.

On some occasions, he kissed the girl and touched her chest, sometimes making skin-to-skin contact.

He also touched her genitals, the court heard.

They were in a car in May 2022 when he asked her to perform a sexual act on him.

The DPP said: “The victim did not really want to do so but agreed after he persuaded her...because she felt that she loved him.”

Later that month, the girl went to his Housing Board flat, where they engaged in more sexual activities, including protected intercourse.

His offences came to light after a staff member at the victim’s new home noticed that she was wearing an army T-shirt.

The victim admitted that she was in a relationship with the man, who resigned soon after.

He was arrested in June 2026.

Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.