Edmund Tan Shi Hui, 28, was sentenced on July 27, 2023, to 25½ years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane for raping three underage girls, all aged 13 at the time, after offering payment for sex [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Tan, who worked as a waiter and was between 24 and 25 years old during the offences, engaged in multiple penetrative sexual acts with the victims on eight separate occasions spanning over a year, from March 2022 to July 2023 [1, 2, 3, 5]. He paid the girls up to SGD 500 each time [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The encounters took place in various locations including handicap toilets at Kovan MRT Station and Punggol, a school toilet, his HDB flat, and an HDB stairwell [1, 4]. Tan primarily met the victims through online platforms, such as Telegram and a video-conferencing app [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Tan pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape between March 2022 and July 2023, with an additional 10 charges related to statutory rape and sexual assault by penetration considered during sentencing [1, 2, 3, 5]. Police investigations found he had engaged in sexual transactions with 17 females, including three under 14 years old [4].
Justice Andre Maniam rejected the defense’s claim that the context of commercial sex reduced Tan’s blameworthiness. He stated, "Commercial sex with a minor is an aggravating factor in an offence of statutory rape" [1, 2, 3, 5].
Tan was arrested by police in August 2023 following their investigation [4]. The lengthy prison term and cane strokes reflect the court’s response to the serious nature of his crimes.
The sentencing marked the conclusion of the trial, with Tan now required to serve his jail term and undergo corporal punishment as ordered by the court [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
