Two jailed for sex with underage Vietnamese girls

Two men were jailed today for having sex with underage Vietnamese prostitutes.

54-year-old Wee Lian Kee, a subcontractor, was jailed nine weeks for paying a girl, who was then 16 years old, for sex.

46-year-old Yee Yew Seng was jailed three months and one week for having paid sex with a girl, who was then 17 years old.

Yee, a former storeman, was also found guilty of a second charge of theft.

He stole various electronic items, including fans and cordless jug, from a store at Shunli Industrial Complex in May this year.

Wee and Yee are part of the six men who were previously charged with paying for sex with Vietnamese girls, aged between 16 and 17, in July 2011.

Court documents revealed that both men met the Vietnamese girls on separate occasions in Geylang.

When they asked about the girls' ages, they were told that the girls were of age.

However, the court heard that the men did not verify the ages.

Both men later paid them between $180 and $200 for their sexual services at nearby hotels.

Previously in mitigation, Wee's lawyer, had said that his client was "careless" in trusting the girl's claim of her age. 

Wee, a father-of-three, was also said to be "shocked and frightened". 

Also pleading for leniency, Yee's lawyer today told the court that Yee was remorseful.

For having paid sex with underage girls, both men could be jailed up to seven years and fined.