A middle aged youth counsellor abused the position of trust he built with a 12-year-old girl by taking naked photographs of her.
The 39-year-old man has since been sentenced to seven months in jail for his offences, Channel NewsAsia reports. Both he and his victim cannot be named due to a gag order issued by the judge as the accused is a close friend of the girl's mother.
Both the man and the girl lived close to each other, and the accused would often see the girl hanging around the estate after school. He would even give the girl some pocket money, ranging from $2 to $10 whenever she asked him for money.
In April 2012, the victim asked for $300 to purchase a mobile phone, and the man asked her to come by the house.
It was in his house that the man informed her that she could make money by being a hostess before instructing her to strip naked. She refused at first, but relented and posed for for the man on his bed while he took photos using his mobile phone.
In court, the prosecution stressed that the act was akin to child pornography, and that it was indeed sexual exploitation. The accused's lawyers argued that the pictures were not circulated and that he did not touch the girl when the offence was committed.
The district judge was having none of it. He noted that it was "ironical" that a counsellor who helps troubled youths actually committed an offence towards another youth.
He could have been sentenced to five years in jail and/or a fine of $10,000.
Photo: Keith Allison via Flickr
A middle aged youth counsellor abused the position of trust he built with a 12-year-old girl by taking naked photographs of her.
The 39-year-old man has since been sentenced to seven months in jail for his offences, Channel NewsAsia reports. Both he and his victim cannot be named due to a gag order issued by the judge as the accused is a close friend of the girl's mother.
Both the man and the girl lived close to each other, and the accused would often see the girl hanging around the estate after school. He would even give the girl some pocket money, ranging from $2 to $10 whenever she asked him for money.
In April 2012, the victim asked for $300 to purchase a mobile phone, and the man asked her to come by the house.
It was in his house that the man informed her that she could make money by being a hostess before instructing her to strip naked. She refused at first, but relented and posed for for the man on his bed while he took photos using his mobile phone.
In court, the prosecution stressed that the act was akin to child pornography, and that it was indeed sexual exploitation. The accused's lawyers argued that the pictures were not circulated and that he did not touch the girl when the offence was committed.
The district judge was having none of it. He noted that it was "ironical" that a counsellor who helps troubled youths actually committed an offence towards another youth.
He could have been sentenced to five years in jail and/or a fine of $10,000.
Photo: Keith Allison via Flickr