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Section history

Section 376EA — Exploitative sexual grooming of minor of or above 16 but below 18 years of age

As in force on 17 August 2026.

Timeline 5 versions
  1. 1 January 2020 Act 15 of 2019
  2. 31 December 2021 Revised edition
  3. 1 March 2022 Act 23 of 2021
  4. 3 January 2023 Act 39 of 2022
  5. 17 August 2026 Act 21 of 2025
Amended in force 17 August 2026 by Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2025
376EA.Exploitative sexual grooming of minor of or above 16 but below 18 years of age

(1)Any person of or above 18 years of age (A) shall be guilty of an offence if having met or communicated with another person (B) on at least one previous occasion —

(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

(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 mentioned in paragraph (a) —

(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;

(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 of or above 16 but below 18 years of age;

(iii)A does not reasonably believe that B is of or above 18 years of age; and

(iv)A is in a relationship that is exploitative of B.

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

(a)section 354, 354A, 355, 372, 373, 373A, 375, 376, 376AA, 376B, 376C, 376EC, 376EE, 376F, 376G, 376H, 377(1)(e), (f), (g) or (h), 377B(3), 377BA, 377BB, 377BF or 377BL;

(b)section 140(1) of the Women’s Charter 1961; or

(c) section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act8 of the Children and Young Persons Act 19931. Section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act is to be construed as section 8 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993, according to section 20(1) of the Revised Edition of the Laws Act 1983..

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

(4) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 35 years, or with fine, or with both.