Student jailed 26 months for sex with 12-year-old girlfriend
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A 26-year-old design school student was sentenced in the District Court on Friday to 26 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. The court said the defendant proceeded despite an earlier warning from the girl’s father and that the case had caused the victim deep and long-term harm.
Key Points
- Acting District Judge Chow Yin-chu sentenced the defendant on September 11 in District Court, stressing deterrence and the need to protect immature and vulnerable children.
- The defendant, Tsang Ka-ho (曾嘉浩), is now 26 and was 23 at the time of the offences; the girl, identified as X, was 12.
- The offences took place in early January 2024 at a flat in Shin Ming Estate, Tseung Kwan O, and on February 11, 2024 in Zhangmutou, Dongguan.
- Both incidents involved unprotected sex, and the judge said the father had already warned the defendant not to have sex with the girl because she was only 12.
- The girl disclosed the relationship and sexual acts after a breakup on February 16, 2024; the defendant later apologised to her parents and surrendered to police on March 3, 2024
Why It Matters
The sentencing underscores that consent or a claimed romantic relationship does not reduce the seriousness of sex offences involving children under 13, whom the law treats as needing special protection. The court’s emphasis on trauma, suicide risk and a medium-to-high reoffending assessment also shows how such cases are judged not only by the acts themselves but by their lasting impact on victims and public safety.