Man, 28, who paid underage girls for sex gets 25½ years’ jail, caning for rape

Published July 29, 2026 at 8:02 AM UTC

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Key Points

Edmund Tan Shi Hui, 28, sentenced to 25½ years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane for raping three 13-year-old girls he paid for sex.
Offences occurred between March 2022 and July 2023; Tan met victims online and paid up to S$500 per encounter.
Tan pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape; judge highlighted that paying for sex with a minor is an aggravating factor.
The case underscores the legal consequences of engaging in sexual activities with minors, even when payment is involved.

Background History

In Singapore, statutory rape laws are stringent, with severe penalties for those convicted of engaging in sexual activities with minors. The legal system treats such offences with utmost seriousness, aiming to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.

A 28-year-old man in Singapore has been sentenced to 25½ years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane after admitting to raping three underage girls he paid for sex. Edmund Tan Shi Hui, who was 24 to 25 years old at the time of the offences, met the victims online and engaged in sexual acts with them on eight separate occasions over more than a year, paying up to S$500 each time. The girls were all 13 years old when the incidents occurred. Tan pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape committed between March 2022 and July 2023. The judge emphasized that paying for sex with a minor is an aggravating factor in such cases.