An Indian-origin warrant officer in the Singapore Armed Forces pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of trespassing on a minor under 16 for helping a girl who had fallen down the stairs of a car park.
Two other charges will be taken into consideration at Subramaniam Tabran Rangasami’s sentencing, scheduled for February 1, The Straits Times reported.
A gag order is currently in place over the 17-year-old girl’s identity. He allegedly tried to have sex with the girl when she was 15 years old.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair said the incident took place on December 6, 2021, during the school holidays. The victim was scheduled to meet online with a school counselor at 11 a.m., but there were other people in the house, so she walked to a multi-storey parking lot for privacy.
On the fourth floor of the parking lot, the third-year secondary school student passed 50-year-old Subramaniam on his motorcycle as he waited for work.
About an hour later, the girl fell while descending from the fifth floor of the parking lot and collided with a door. Hearing the sound, Subramaniam helped her stand up.
The victim thanked him and went home, and the man got back on his motorcycle. She thanked him for her help and she returned with a can of chrysanthemum tea.
The two then sat on the stairs of the fourth floor of the parking lot and chatted, and after about an hour, Subramaniam and the girl became intimate. The girl then performed a sex act on him.
Subramaniam also tried to have sex with her but failed. They then got dressed and parted ways, but not before exchanging phone numbers.
The court heard they had been communicating through WhatsApp, but the messages were not sexual in nature. Two days after the incident, on December 8, 2021, the victim reported to the police as she felt that she had been taken advantage of by Subramaniam.
Prosecutors noted that the defendant was never fooled by the victim’s age, adding that he never forced or coerced her into becoming intimate with him.
Warrant Officer 1st Class Subramaniam was suspended from all duties following his arrest.
“The SAF will take further action, including his discharge, once the court hearing concludes,” the Singapore Daily newspaper quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying.
He said the SAF holds its military personnel to high standards of discipline and integrity, and those who commit crimes will be punished according to the law.
For trespassing on a minor under 16, Subramaniam could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, a fine, or both.
Originally uploaded to: October 1, 2024 09:15 IST