Singaporean man jailed over paying for sex with minor after 16-year-old ‘sugar baby’ reported him to cops

Singaporean man jailed over paying for sex with minor after 16-year-old ‘sugar baby’ reported him to cops



A 42-year-old Singaporean man was found guilty of commercial sex with minor after reported by 16-year-old 'sugar baby' he found on Sugarbook. — Picture from Sugarbook

Tuesday, 11 Feb 2025 12:00 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, Feb 11 — A Singapore man was yesterday sentenced to one-and-a-half years of prison for paying his “sugar baby”, then 16 years old, for sex on five occasions.

CNA reported that Mario Antonio Di Dier, 42, had met the teen through “sugar dating” platform Sugarbook — which requires users to be above 18 — in November 2021.

The pair then had consensual sex five times, with him paying her S$300 (RM986) each time in return.

However, the teen reported their sexual relationship to the police in August 2022, after learning in April that year that Di Dier had taken up another “sugar baby” — her friend.

The prosecutor told the court that she was encouraged to report Di Dier to the police by her psychiatrist, after she became guilty that her “sugar daddy” had taken another girl her age as a “sugar baby”.

It was reported that the judge said the onus was on the older person to not take advantage of the victim for sexual gratification, even if the victim had offered sexual services.

The judge also pointed to marks of self-harm on the girl, which was said to be a sign of vulnerability.

In Singapore, the age of consent is 16. However, it is a crime to have commercial sex with a minor under 18, under Section 376B of the Penal Code.