*illustrated photo
A man was jailed for 32 months yesterday after he had sex with an underage girl attending a special needs school.
Odd-job worker Yahya Abdul Kadir, 49, admitted having unprotected intercourse with the girl on the staircase landing of a Housing Board flat, after he met her at the void deck and they started chatting.
According to a report in The Straits Times, he took the girl, who has an IQ of just 40, to the second-floor landing and asked if she was willing to have sex with him. She kept quiet.
He proceeded to hug and kiss her, then had sex with her in early August 2010. They had intercourse again the following month and on Feb 17, 2011. These charges were considered during his sentencing.
The offences came to light after the victim’s uncle lodged a police report on the day of their third sexual encounter. Deputy Public Prosecutor Winston Man applied for a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.
Pleading for leniency, Yahya said he was guilty and remorseful about what he had done. He told District Judge Lee Poh Choo that he is caring for his grandson, who has special needs.
However, DPP Man called for a term exceeding two years, pointing out that Yahya was more than 30 years older than the victim. He also noted that Yahya had not used a condom and had exposed the victim to the risk of pregnancy and that sexual exploitation took place three times.
Yahya, who has previous convictions for drug consumption, failing to report for urine tests, theft and possession of dutiable goods, could have been jailed for up to 10 years and/or fined.