There are government-regulated brothels where foreign and local women legally offer sexual services to customers. These women are required to carry health cards and to undergo regular medical check-ups. Note that all references to prostitution in this article relate to commercial sex between a male and a female. Currently, all forms of male-male including transgender males sex in Singapore remain criminal offences under Section A of the Penal Code.
The government-regulated brothels are not the only place where such services are offered. Karaoke lounges and massage parlours are some of the common places where one might be offered sexual services for a fee. Would-be customers should beware though, as these are likely to be illegal operations. Other prostitution-related activities that are illegal in Singapore include public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute and maintaining an unlicensed brothel.
Even with strict regulations and licensing to protect the trade from minors and to ward off criminal involvement, new ways of offering illegal prostitution are appearing all the time. Undeterred, sex workers and their accomplices attempt to websites hosted outside of Singapore to circumvent these new laws.
In this article, we review some of the regulations and issues relating to the paid sex trade in Singapore. A former government teaching scholar at River Valley High School and Jurong Junior College, and a police superintendent were among some of the other men charged at the Subordinate Court for paid sex with an underage prostitute.
In Singapore, under sections A and B of the Singapore Penal Code it is an offence to have sex with a girl under 16 years of age or to have commercial sex with a girl under 18 years of age, even if she consented to the act. Under section C of the Penal Code, Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents who engage in commercial sex with persons under 18 will still be liable even if the acts were done outside of Singapore. Ignorance will not be a defence. Section D of the Penal Code states that offenders above 21 years old cannot claim that they mistakenly believed the person was not underage as a defense.
