A 27-year-old man in Singapore has been sentenced to 22 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane for a series of sexual offences against a 13-year-old girl, including rape and burning her with a cigarette. Foong Yong pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape, with 14 other charges considered during sentencing at the High Court of Singapore on July 6, 2026.
Details of the abuse
Court documents revealed that Foong Yong befriended the victim on an online video conferencing platform on May 19, 2023. Despite knowing her age, he asked if she would be interested in having sex with her, to which she agreed. At his house, he handcuffed her, used a sex toy on her, repeatedly slapped her, and then raped her.
The following day, he took her to a staircase landing where he raped her again and burned her buttocks twice with a lit cigarette, declaring he would treat her as his "ashtray." The victim was left with burn marks on her skin. He also choked her, causing her to become light-headed and unable to stand properly. They later returned to his house for further sex acts.
Exploitation for financial gain
Prosecutors described him as a sexual predator who exploited the victim's naivety for financial gain. According to The Straits Times, Yong asked the victim to lend him $200 to $300 and suggested she have sex with other men for money, telling her she "would be losing out" if she did not. After she agreed, he provided a list of charges for sexual acts and publicised her Telegram username and offer of sexual services on two online platforms.
Yong received about $3,000 from her earnings. Between June 1 and June 5, 2023, he also threatened to leak pictures and videos of her online unless she gave him $5,000.
Sentencing and charges
Foong Yong faced 20 charges in total for sexual offences against the teenage girl. The court heard that between May 2023 and July 2023, he engaged in several penetrative sex acts with the victim on seven occasions. In addition to the 22-year jail term and 24 strokes of the cane, the sentence reflects the severity of his crimes under Singapore law.
