A construction worker who had sex with a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment at the Court of First Instance on Thursday.
The defendant admitted that he met victim X through an online game on March 7 last year, after which they had sexual intercourse on the same day in a bush near X's home.
They also had sex the following day when X invited the defendant to her home. After two days, X's father found online chat logs involving sex topics on his daughter's computer, leading to the defendant's arrest.
Under police detention, the defendant stated that he thought X was already of legal age.
The defendant's lawyer stated that X had not revealed her age during the meetings, and she was the one who raised the notion of sexual intercourse, along with the fact that the defendant had already been kept in detention for 11 months, hoping for a lighter sentence.
During the sentencing, the judge said that even if the defendant might have gotten the consent, the victim who is 14 is still under the protection of the law.
Seeing the age gap between the two and the severity of the overall crime, the judge sentenced the defendant to 15 months imprisonment based on two counts of a sexual offense.
They also had sex the following day when X invited the defendant to her home. After two days, X's father found online chat logs involving sex topics on his daughter's computer, leading to the defendant's arrest.
Under police detention, the defendant stated that he thought X was already of legal age.
The defendant's lawyer stated that X had not revealed her age during the meetings, and she was the one who raised the notion of sexual intercourse, along with the fact that the defendant had already been kept in detention for 11 months, hoping for a lighter sentence.
During the sentencing, the judge said that even if the defendant might have gotten the consent, the victim who is 14 is still under the protection of the law.
Seeing the age gap between the two and the severity of the overall crime, the judge sentenced the defendant to 15 months imprisonment based on two counts of a sexual offense.