The teen pleaded guilty to one charge of molestation and one count of attempting to procure an indecent act with a child. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

A 17-year-old male student repeatedly asked a 10-year-old boy to send him nude photos, even offering to pay him $10, a court heard.

The teen also groped a 13-year-old boy on several occasions.

At the State Courts on Monday (17 December), the culprit, who is now 18 and cannot be named to protect the victims’ identities, pleaded guilty to one charge each of molestation and attempting to procure an indecent act with a child.

He will be sentenced at a later date pending a probation suitability report.

Met 13-year-old victim at school camp

The teen got to know the 13-year-old victim after a school camp in January last year. They lost contact and reconnected in August last year.

During the school holidays in October last year, they met up often. Between October and December last year, the culprit molested the victim frequently. He also asked to see the victim’s private parts, but the latter refused.

In January, the victim told his senior schoolmates about how he had been groped and they decided to confront the culprit as a group.

The group and the victim went to the latter’s house, where the culprit was waiting for the victim to return from school. The culprit called the police after the group confronted him.

Met 10-year-old victim at student care programme

Early this year, the teen met the second victim while being in the same student care programme. In March, the 10-year-old boy was added to a WhatsApp group chat, which the teen was part of.

That same day, the teen began messaging the boy privately, asking him to send photos of his private parts, of him naked, and of him doing a sex act. The boy refused.

Over the next few days, the teen harassed the boy, asking him for photos. At one point, he offered the victim $10 to have a video call and for the boy to show his private parts. The boy refused.

In late March, the boy’s mother saw the messages from the teen to her son. She later made a police record.

The teen is expected to be sentenced on 7 January.

The maximum penalty for molestation of a person under 14 is up to 5 years’ jail, along with a fine and caning. The maximum punishment for attempting to procure an indecent act by a child is up to five years’ jail and a $10,000 fine, for a first conviction.

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