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Section history

Section 376E — Sexual grooming of minor below 16 years of age

Consolidated view is experimental and may be broken for certain provisions.

Amendments
376E.Sexual grooming of minor underbelow 16 years of age

(1)Any person of or above the18 ageyears of 2118 yearsage (A) shall be guilty of an offence if having met or communicated with another person (B) on 2 or more previous occasionsat least one previous occasion ––—

Paragraph (a) — Original text to 17 August 2026superseded

(a)A intentionally meets B or travels with the intention of meeting B or B travels to attend a meeting with A which A has either initiated or agreed to whether expressly or by implication; and

Paragraph (a) — From 17 August 2026 (current)rewritten by Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2025

(a)any of the following acts takes place:

(i)A intentionally meets B in Singapore;

(ii)A travels in Singapore with the intention of meeting B in Singapore;

(iii)A travels from a location in Singapore with the intention of meeting B outside Singapore;

(iv)B travels in Singapore to attend a meeting with A in Singapore which A has either initiated or agreed to whether expressly or by implication;

(v)B travels from a location in Singapore to attend a meeting with A outside Singapore which A has either initiated or agreed to whether expressly or by implication; and

(b)at the time of the acts referred to in paragraph (a) ––—

Sub-paragraph (i) — Original text to 17 August 2026superseded

(i)A intends to do anything to or in respect of B, during or after the meeting, which if done will involve the commission by A of a relevant offence;

Sub-paragraph (i) — From 17 August 2026 (current)rewritten by Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2025

(i)A intends, during or after the meeting —

(A)to do (in Singapore) anything to or in respect of B which will involve the commission by A of a relevant offence; or

(B)to do (outside Singapore) anything to or in respect of B which would, if done in Singapore, involve the commission by A of a relevant offence;

(ii)B is underbelow 16 years of age; and

(iii)A does not reasonably believe that B is of or above the16 ageyears of 16 years.age.

(2)In subsection (1), “relevant offence” means an offence under ––—

(a)section 354, 354A, 354, 354A, 375, 376, 376A, 376B, 376F, 376G or 377A;355, 372, 373, 373A, 375, 376, 376A, 376B, 376C, 376EB, 376ED, 376F, 376H, 377(3),377(1)(e), (f), (g) or (h), 377A, 377B(3), 377BA, 377BB, 377BF, 377BG or 377BH;

(b)section 78 of the Children and Young Persons Act (Cap. 38);1993; or

(c)section 140(1) of the Women’s Charter (Cap. 353).1961.

(3)For the purposes of this section, it is immaterial whether the 2 or more previous occasionsprevious occasion of A having met or communicated with B referred to in subsection (1) took place in or outside Singapore.

Subsection (4) — Original text to 1 January 2020superseded

(4)A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both.

[UK SOA 2003, s. 15]

Subsection (4) — From 1 January 2020 (current)restructured by Criminal Law Reform Act 2019

(4)A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall on conviction —

(a)in the case where the offence is committed against a victim who is below 14 years of age and A does not reasonably believe that B is of or above that age, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 47 years, or with fine, or with both; or

(b)in any other case, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 35 years, or with fine, or with both.

[UK SOA 2003, s. 15]