Man Tried Paying For Sex With 16-Year-Old After Seeing Her Ad Online

This image shows a pair of handcuffs at the Commissariat de Police Nationale (National Police Station) in Alfortville, France, Nov. 21, 2016. THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images

A Singapore man was sentenced to three months in jail Wednesday for attempting to pay a 16-year-old girl for sex.

The girl advertised sexual services on an online web listing page in 2017. Andy Kow Yong Wen, 42, sent her a message saying he wanted to engage in her services. He also told her he was willing to be her “sugar daddy.” The two exchanged text messages for a few days during which the girl told Wen her age and also sent him a photo. Despite knowing her age, the man asked her if she was willing to have sex for $500 SGD ($370 USD). The girl, however, refused.

They agreed to meet and Wen said he would pick the girl from her home and drop her at her tuition. However, instead of dropping her at the tuition, he drove into a basement park where he kissed her before touching her private parts. She then told him she was getting late and Wan asked her if she had money to eat. Despite the victim telling that she had money, Wan gave her $50 SGD, which she took and left, Channel New Asia reported.

A few days later, the victim’s parents found out about her online ad and filed a police complaint, following which Wen was arrested.

During the trial, the accused told the court that he decided to meet her only to check if she was real and was only passing the time by messaging her. Wen also said he had invited the victim for a meal and movie in exchange for $500. When asked, why he took the girl to the parking lot instead of dropping her at the tuition, Wen said he thought it was natural as he started liking her.

Wen also said the girl had kissed him back in the car. The girl told the court that she was taken off-guard and did not know how to react.

During the sentencing Wednesday, Judge John Ng said it was a case in which a person was prosecuted for trying to obtain commercial sex with a person under the age of 18.

"Regardless of whether these girls had actively attracted the attention of the men, the law is there to prohibit without exceptions such attempts and propositions," the judge said.