Singapore man gets 8 years, 9 months for raping 13-year-old he met online
What's new: The court also ordered six cane strokes after prosecutors argued the case called for deterrence, not leniency.
A Singapore court sentenced Kevin Tan Jia Hut, 28, to eight years and nine months in jail and six strokes of the cane after he admitted raping a 13-year-old girl he met online. Tan pleaded guilty on June 9 to one rape charge, with three similar charges considered during sentencing. Court documents said Tan, then 25, met the girl in May 2023 on Omegle before their conversations turned sexual and moved to Telegram. They first met near her home in June 2023, and she later went to his home in July after he booked rides for her. Her mother filed a police report two days later, and police arrested Tan on Aug. 10, 2023. Prosecutors sought up to 9 1/2 years in prison, calling the conduct “no youthful folly.”