SINGAPORE: In getting into a sexual relationship with his 13-year-old niece, a man sexually exploited her, raped her during staycations and "punished" her with sex acts when he grew jealous about a schoolmate she was dating.The 38-year-old Singaporean man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was sentenced to 21 years' jail and 16 strokes of the cane on Monday (Aug 3).He pleaded guilty to six charges that included statutory rape and sexual assault. Another 17 charges were considered in sentencing.The court heard that the man was close to his brother, the victim's father.At the time of the offences, the offender was in a relationship with a woman whom he later married in May 2024. However, they did not live together.He lived with his grandmother until she died before getting his own home.PAIR GREW CLOSER AFTER HER 13TH BIRTHDAYWhen the victim was below the age of 13, her interactions with her uncle were limited to family gatherings and outings on special occasions.In September 2022, the man took the victim out to celebrate her 13th birthday and she rode on his motorcycle.She said she enjoyed it and wanted to do it again, so he took her out several days later for supper.While out, the girl saw her ex-boyfriend and told her uncle that he had touched her sexually and that she did not take issue with it.From that day onwards, the pair grew closer and the girl would visit her uncle after school.On one occasion, he molested her and asked if that was what her ex-boyfriend did. Although the girl was shocked, she did not object or react.From October 2022, the pair considered themselves a couple, exchanging romantic messages daily, kissing and engaging in sex acts.On a family trip to Malaysia around November 2022, the man molested the girl while they were alone in his room.During the girl's school holidays in the same month, the girl got permission from her parents to sleep over at her uncle's place. His grandmother had died by that time and they were alone at home.After drinking alcohol, they engaged in sex acts and the man tried to rape her but could not, but he did it the next morning on her agreement.After this, the pair had sex about four times a week at the man's home.He also went out to eat and shop with the victim, but avoided behaving intimately when their family members were around.In 2023, the victim got permission from her parents to have a staycation with her uncle. He took along alcohol and toys and they had sex at a hotel.They continued seeing each other in 2024, with the teenager visiting her uncle after school. The man joked about committing incest with her.TEEN STARTS DATING SCHOOLMATEIn January 2024, the teenager got to know a schoolmate named only as A1 in court documents. They grew closer and got into a romantic relationship, and she began reducing her visits to her uncle.The man noticed the change in her behaviour and found out about her relationship with A1, which dismayed him.The jealous man urged her to end her relationship with the boy and continued to engage in sexual activity with her.In May 2024, when she was 14, he engaged in sex acts with the victim as a form of punishment for her interactions with A1.He told his niece that she had made a mistake and needed to repay him. If she did not comply with the sex acts, she would need to break up with A1.The teenager did not want to end her relationship with A1, so she gave in to her uncle's demands.The man continued to sexually exploit the girl despite his niece experiencing pain.They had another staycation at a hotel in June 2024 where they had sex.In August 2024, the man went through his niece's phone while she was asleep and discovered that she had a TikTok account that was linked only to A1.Enraged, he scolded his niece for not putting as much effort into her relationship with him. They then engaged in sex acts, after he offered to pretend that he had not seen her TikTok account.While taking her home later, he told her to break up with A1, causing her to cry.He diverted to a mall to try and calm her down, but shouted at her on the way out of frustration.He said he did not want them to end up in the same polytechnic and told her that he would continue to control her life when she was in university.The victim got out of the vehicle at her uncle's prompting and went to a nearby toilet where she cried. He kept texting her, saying she seemed to love A1 more than him.In early August 2024, after she told her uncle that she would not break up with A1, he threatened to leak her nude photographs and videos, which he had taken without her consent.He threatened at least five times to publish them on a pornographic website, to send them to her friend, and to circulate them on Telegram.He also said that he was prepared to go to jail, but did not disseminate the material in the end.The teenager finally agreed to cut contact with A1 to pacify her uncle. He demanded that she publicise her breakup on social media, but did not force this eventually.When she told A1 what had happened, he said that her uncle's behaviour was "out of line".The victim tried to end her relationship with her uncle at least eight times, but he guilt-tripped her each time. He would also tell her that he was depressed and wanted to end his life.VICTIM INFORMS TEACHERTired of her uncle's manipulative behaviour, the victim informed her teacher on Aug 6, 2024 about her relationship with him.The matter was escalated to Child Protection Services under the Ministry of Social and Family Development, which filed a police report.The day the victim reported the matter to her teacher, her uncle had gone to her school to wait for her.He sensed something amiss and saw his niece being escorted into a vehicle around 6pm. He deduced that his inappropriate relationship with her had come to light.He was arrested the next day.SENTENCING ARGUMENTSDeputy Public Prosecutors Chin Jincheng and Joelle Loy sought 19-and-a-half to 21 years' jail and at least 16 strokes of the cane for the man.Mr Chin said that the man had kept up a facade of being nothing but a caring uncle to the victim, but blatantly violated her parents' trust.He also said that the man robbed his niece of her innocence by taking her virginity when she was 13 and "habituated her to all kinds of illicit sexual activity with him".Mr Chin added that the man had abused his position of authority over the victim and abused his brother's trust in him in order to gain access to the teenager.He also manipulated the victim emotionally by refusing to let her end this "perverse relationship"."Towards the tail-end of the relationship, he was cruel to the victim and she caved into his demands out of fear," Mr Chin said.Defence lawyer Ramesh Tiwary sought 16 years' jail and 16 strokes of the cane instead.He urged the court to take into account his client's remorse on top of his guilty plea.He pointed out that his client had admitted everything he did and apologised to the victim's parents."The fact that this remorse is true is reflected in a letter signed by the parents and the girl," Mr Tiwary said. "The best evidence in this case of genuine remorse ... is that the victim's family feel that he has shown remorse."He added that client apologised in person to his brother, and that his sister-in-law was not ready to meet him at that time but did so later.Mr Tiwary said that the most important mitigating factor in cases such as these is perhaps the fact that the offender does not make the victim of a sexual offence testify in front of strangers and relive the trauma.At this, Justice Andre Maniam questioned if this was already accommodated for in the 30 per cent sentencing discount for the early plea of guilt.Mr Tiwary acknowledged this. Justice Maniam did not give any extra credit for the remorse. For each charge of statutory rape, the man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.