- Joined
- Aug 14, 2009
- Messages
- 3,634
- Points
- 0
SINGAPORE: Former principal of Pei Chun Public School Lee Lip Hong pleaded guilty on Friday morning to having paid sex with a minor.
The court heard that Lee first came to know of the girl's services from an Internet vice website.
He then procured her services through the website, which stated the girl's age as 18 years old.
Lee's lawyer Melanie Ho told the court that her client was misled about the girl's real age.
She said that when he met the girl's pimp, Tang Boon Thiew, he was told that the girl was 19 years old.
Ms Ho said Lee had no reason to suspect that she was younger than her stated age on the website.
She said when Lee met the girl, she told him she was 19 years old.
Ms Ho said Lee did not suspect anything was wrong and had no reason to doubt her stated age, based on her physical appearance, demeanour and maturity.
Lee broke down during the court session as his lawyer pleaded for leniency
Ms Ho said her client was very remorseful and understood that he had made a very serious mistake.
Lee later requested to plead personally, telling the judge that even though he changed his mind and decided to engage a counsel, he never changed his decision to plead guilty.
He said he was fully ashamed of his actions, which have caused pain and harm to his family, especially his wife.
Lee said he had disappointed many who entrusted him to be their role model.
He also acknowledged that it was his personal lack of control of his own moral standards and his weak resistance to temptation that led to his mistake.
Lee's lawyer pleaded to the court to impose a fine.
- CNA/wm
The court heard that Lee first came to know of the girl's services from an Internet vice website.
He then procured her services through the website, which stated the girl's age as 18 years old.
Lee's lawyer Melanie Ho told the court that her client was misled about the girl's real age.
She said that when he met the girl's pimp, Tang Boon Thiew, he was told that the girl was 19 years old.
Ms Ho said Lee had no reason to suspect that she was younger than her stated age on the website.
She said when Lee met the girl, she told him she was 19 years old.
Ms Ho said Lee did not suspect anything was wrong and had no reason to doubt her stated age, based on her physical appearance, demeanour and maturity.
Lee broke down during the court session as his lawyer pleaded for leniency
Ms Ho said her client was very remorseful and understood that he had made a very serious mistake.
Lee later requested to plead personally, telling the judge that even though he changed his mind and decided to engage a counsel, he never changed his decision to plead guilty.
He said he was fully ashamed of his actions, which have caused pain and harm to his family, especially his wife.
Lee said he had disappointed many who entrusted him to be their role model.
He also acknowledged that it was his personal lack of control of his own moral standards and his weak resistance to temptation that led to his mistake.
Lee's lawyer pleaded to the court to impose a fine.
- CNA/wm