SINGAPORE – A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular was sentenced to 10 months’ jail on Feb 1 over a sex act with a 15-year-old girl.

Subramaniam Thaburan Rangasamy, 50, a first warrant officer, pleaded guilty in January to one count of sexually penetrating a minor below 16. Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The girl, who is now 17, cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity.

Subramaniam was suspended from all duties following his arrest, according to the Ministry of Defence.

A Mindef spokeswoman also told The Straits Times earlier that SAF will take further actions after court hearings, which may include discharging him from service.

The incident happened on Dec 6, 2021, during the school holidays.

Subramaniam and the Secondary 3 student first met at a multi-storey carpark. They did not know each other.

She was supposed to have an online meeting with her school counsellor at 11am that day and went to the carpark for some privacy as there were other people at home.

Subramaniam was about to leave for work on his motorcycle.

When she fell and hit a door, Subramaniam helped her.

Grateful for his help, she went home and returned with a can of chrysanthemum tea for him, and they chatted at the fourth-floor staircase of the carpark.

About an hour later, Subramaniam and the girl became intimate. The girl then performed a sex act on him.

Subramaniam also tried to perform a sexual act on her, but failed.

They parted ways after exchanging numbers and remained in contact via WhatsApp, but the messages were not of a sexual nature.

On Dec 8, 2021, the girl made a police report because she felt that Subramaniam had taken advantage of her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair had told the court in earlier proceedings: “The accused was not at any time misled as to the victim’s age. The accused did not force or coerce the victim to be intimate.”

For penetrating a minor below 16, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.