Singapore: An Indian-origin IT specialist in Singapore was today sentenced to six months' in jail for arranging a minor's sexual tryst with an 18-year-old part-time model and photographing them in a hotel room.
The 41-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took photographs of the poses and sexual acts between the minor, who is a teenage Chinese national, whom he had hired for a "couple shoot" at a hotel in October 2012.
Two other charges including procuring the minor to perform obscene acts were taken into consideration during the sentencing of the accused, who had worked as an information technology specialist with a company for 13 years before he resigned.
The minor, who was 15-year-old at the time, came to know the accused, a photography enthusiast, when the latter advertised online seeking an "extra man" in sexual trysts, according to a report in The Straits Times.
The minor responded to the advertisement, claiming that he was 18.
That weekend, the accused met the minor and the model at the hotel and asked the two to engage in sexual activities. The accused had assured the minor, who felt uncomfortable and awkward during the session, that the photographs were meant for his personal use.
The minor filed a police report on January 9 last year after his photographs were seen by his friend on the internet.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy has argued that there was a strong element of moral corruption of the minor by the accused.
Kavita said the accused neither ascertained nor verified the minor's age, adding it was him who recruited and led the minor into sexual activity at a tender age and made him to perform all sorts of lewd acts.
In his ruling, District Judge Victor Yeo said the offence was serious and a jail sentence was clearly warranted.
The fact that the accused did not directly engage in sex with the minor was hardly a mitigating factor given the facts and circumstances of this case, he said.
Meanwhile, the model is unlikey to be charged in the case.