By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 24 Apr 2015
A 24-YEAR-OLD Singaporean man has become the first person here to be charged under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, which went into force last month.
According to court documents, Muhammad Khairulanwar Rohmat allegedly recruited a 15-year-old with the purpose of exploiting her.
The girl cannot be named because of a gag order.
The offence reportedly took place on April 15 between 3.30pm and 5.30pm at a Starbucks cafe in Orchard Road. At about 4.30pm, he allegedly had consensual sex with her in a men's toilet in Cuppage Plaza.
For this offence, he faces a second charge of having sex with a minor under the Penal Code.
Yesterday, Khairulanwar appeared in court dressed in a black T-shirt. He was calm and silent as the charges were read to him. He was remanded for a week for further investigations.
The case will be heard again next Wednesday.
Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, anyone who recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives a child for the purpose of exploitation, whether here or abroad, is guilty of an offence.
Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, anyone who recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives a child for the purpose of exploitation, whether here or abroad, is guilty of an offence.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to 10 years and caned a maximum of six strokes.
For sexually penetrating a minor, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.
The new Prevention of Human Trafficking Act began as a Private Member's Bill proposed by MP Christopher de Souza in 2013. He was given the go-ahead from the Ministry of Home Affairs to table it in Parliament, which was done last October and, after a series of heated debates, the Bill was passed into law last November.
Yesterday, Mr de Souza told The Straits Times that the landmark Act had two aims.
Yesterday, Mr de Souza told The Straits Times that the landmark Act had two aims.
He said: "One aim of the Act is to strongly empower ground enforcement against human trafficking. This will help deter acts of trafficking. The other aim is to protect victims. Both are equally important aims. It is for the courts to decide whether the facts of any particular case meet the legal elements under the Act."
Student accused of human trafficking faces 16 new charges. str.sg/3eKMuhammad Khairulanwar Rohmat, 24, has also been...
Posted by The Straits Times on Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Student faces more charges of human trafficking
He is accused of recruiting another teenage girl for prostitution
By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015
He is accused of recruiting another teenage girl for prostitution
By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2015
SIXTEEN new charges have been levelled against a 24-year-old student who last week became the first person to be charged under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act.
They concern another girl, this one a 16-year-old, whom Muhammad Khairulanwar Rohmat is also accused of exploiting.
The latest charges are on top of those made against him last week concerning the recruitment of a 15-year-old at a Starbucks cafe in Orchard Road on April 15 with the aim of exploiting her. He is also accused of having had sex with her two days earlier in a men's toilet in Cuppage Plaza.
Latest court documents show that Khairulanwar recruited the 16-year-old at the Five Tapas Bar at Cuppage Terrace on March 15.
He then allegedly paid her $70 for sex in the same men's toilet of the building in Koek Road on March 27.
Khairulanwar also faces two charges of abetting an unknown man each time to have commercial sex with the girl, for $350 and $450 respectively.
Five of the 16 fresh charges allege that he lived on the immoral earnings of five prostitutes, all in their 20s, between February 2013 and April 20 this year.
He allegedly procured the five women and a sixth for prostitution.
The prosecution suggested bail of $100,000 and applied for an adjournment of three weeks to complete its investigation.
Khairulanwar's lawyer Ferlin Jayatissa asked that bail be reduced to $50,000.
District Judge Eddy Tham set bail at $70,000. The case will be mentioned again on May 20.
Under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, which came into force last month, anyone who recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives a child for the purpose of exploitation, whether here or abroad, can be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to 10 years, and given up to six strokes of the cane.
The maximum penalty for commercial sex with a person below 18 years is seven years and a fine.
The Women's Charter offences are punishable with up to five years' jail and a $10,000 fine.
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