9 people, including 1 woman, arrested for alleged involvement in sexual exploitation of 2 minors

Nine people, comprising eight men and a woman, will be charged between in court on Aug. 3 for their suspected involvement in the sexual exploitation of minors.

According to a press release by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), they are aged between 20 and 41, and were arrested following an investigations into the sexual exploitation of two minors, who were below 18 years old when the offences were committed.

The arrests were carried out by officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Woman allegedly exploited both victims

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 20-year-old woman had allegedly exploited both victims by facilitating the provision of commercial sexual services and profiting from these arrangements.

She is also believed to have allegedly recruited one of the victims for the purpose of exploitation.

She will be charged with one count of exploitation and one count of knowingly receiving payments in connection with the exploitation of a trafficked victim under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act 2014, and also face additional charges related to the facilitation of commercial sexual services and cheating offences.

Both the charge of exploitation and the charge of knowingly receiving payments connected to a trafficked victim carries a fine of up to S$100,000, an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, and up to six strokes of the cane.

In addition, under the Women's Charter, any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to S$100,000, and an imprisonment term of up to seven years.

Men had allegedly obtained sexual services from one of the victims

The SPF further stated that through follow-up investigations, the identities of the eight victims who had allegedly obtained commercial sexual services from one of the victims were established.

Each of them will be charged with at one least one count of obtaining commercial sex with a minor below 18 years of age.

Three of the men will also be charged with possession of obscene films in relation to unrelated obscene materials found during investigations.

Under the Penal Code, any person who obtains, for consideration, the sexual services of a person below 18 years of age is liable on conviction to an imprisonment term not exceeding seven years, a fine, or both.

As for the possession of obscene films, they are liable on conviction to a fine of up to S$20,000, an imprisonment term not exceeding six months, or both.