A Singaporean court found an Indian tourist guilty of molesting a 12-year-old girl at a swimming complex and sending her inappropriate messages on Instagram. The jailed tourist, identified as Pramender (25), pleaded guilty on Friday to one charge of attempting to procure the commission of an indecent act by a child and one charge of molesting a child under 14, according to Channel News Asia.Pramender was accused of following the 12-year-old to the washroom at Jalan Besar swimming complex, where the victim was with her family on March 31. Pramender accessed the victim’s Instagram account using her phone and followed his own account. Subsequently, he sent her 13 inappropriate text messages, which led her to report the incident to the on-duty lifeguard.Ultimately, the victim’s mother lodged a complaint against the perpetrator with the police, leading to the arrest of Pramender on April 2. There was “some degree of exploitation,” as noted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashley Chin during a court hearing on Friday. The victim’s age and vulnerability were also taken into account by the court. While giving the final verdict, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt noted that the situation had a chance to get much worse if the victim’s cousins hadn’t been present there to protect her.Singaporean Law stipulates that the punishment for attempting to procure the commission of an indecent act by a child below the age of 16 can result in a jail term of up to 7 years and a fine of up to $10,000 or both. Pramender could also face a jail term of up to 5 years, caning, or any combination of the three, for molesting a child under the age of 14.
