Singapore, Jan 10 (IANS): A 50-year-old Indian-origin warrant officer with the Singapore Armed Forces has pleaded guilty to one charge of penetrating a minor below 16 in 2021.

Subramaniam Thaburan Rangasamy, who had helped the minor after she had a fall on stairs in a carpark, is likely to face two more charges during his sentencing on February 1, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair said the incident happened on December 6, 2021, when the victim was supposed to have an online meeting with her school counsellor in the morning.

The Secondary 3 student, who is now 17-years-old, was walking down from the fifth floor of the carpark when she fell and hit a door, and Subramaniam helped her to her feet.

She thanked him and after chatting for about an hour in one of the floors of the carpark, they became intimate.

Subramaniam tried to have sex with her, but failed, following which they parted ways and exchanged numbers, the news report said.

The court heard that they remained in contact via WhatsApp, but the messages were not of a sexual nature. Two days after the incident made a police report because she felt that Subramaniam had taken advantage of her.

The prosecutor noted that the accused was not at any time misled by the victim’s age, and added that he did not force or coerce the victim to be intimate.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said they have suspended Subramaniam from all duties following his arrest.

“The SAF will initiate further actions upon the conclusion of court hearings, which may include discharging him from service,” she added.

She said the SAF holds its servicemen to high standards of discipline and integrity, and that those who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

For penetrating a minor below 16, Subramaniam could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined or both.