PUBLIC PROSECUTOR v Khor Khai Gin, Davis

[2023] SGHC 304 High Court (General Division) 26 October 2023 HC/CC 69/2022

22 cases cited (10 SG, 12 foreign) Cited by 1 case

Outcome

Sentence imposed

“I therefore sentenced the accused to:(a) nine years and nine months’ imprisonment and seven strokes of the cane for the Second Charge;(b) two years’ imprisonment for the Third Charge;(c) nine years’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane for the Sixth Charge; and(d) nine months’ imprisonment for the Tenth Charge.”

Source: [2023] SGHC 304, High Court (General Division), decided 26 October 2023. Read directly from the judgment.

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	26 October 2023
Judge	Pang Khang Chau
Charges / claim	Criminal Procedure and Sentencing
Outcome	Sentence imposed
Counsel	Adelphi Law Chambers LLC, Attorney-General's Chambers, Edwin Soh Chin Yuen, Kang Kok Boon, Favian, Theong Li Han

Source: [2023] SGHC 304, High Court (General Division), decided 26 October 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Sentencing — Sexual offences Criminal Procedure and Sentencing — Sentencing — Attempted rape

Practice Areas

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing

Judges (1)

Pang Khang Chau Delivered

Counsel (5)

Adelphi Law Chambers LLC Firm Attorney-General's Chambers Firm

Edwin Soh Chin Yuen Counsel for the plaintiff

Kang Kok Boon, Favian Counsel for the defendant Theong Li Han Counsel for the plaintiff

Parties (2)

Public Prosecutor Plaintiff

Khor Khai Gin Davis Defendant

Case Significance

Public Prosecutor v Khor Khai Gin Davis [2023] SGHC 304 is a grounds of decision of Pang Khang Chau J in the General Division of the High Court, delivered on 26 October 2023 in Criminal Case No 69 of 2022. From sometime in 2020 until his arrest on 1 March 2021, the accused messaged multiple girls on Instagram offering part-time work or cash and invited them to his residence for sexual acts in exchange for cash; at least four girls aged between 13 and 17 responded, and he performed sexual acts on three of them, giving rise to ten charges. The accused pleaded guilty to four charges, with the remaining charges taken into consideration for sentencing, and one charge was for attempted statutory rape under provisions introduced by the Criminal Law Reform Act 2019, which the judgment addresses for the purposes of sentencing.

Summary

The Public Prosecutor charged Khor Khai Gin Davis, who contacted girls aged between 13 and 17 on Instagram and invited them to his residence for sexual acts in exchange for cash. He pleaded guilty to four charges, including sexual penetration of minors and attempted statutory rape, and the case raised a novel sentencing question following amendments under the Criminal Law Reform Act 2019 removing the halved maximum term for attempts. The court imposed a global sentence of 12 years and six months' imprisonment and 13 strokes of the cane.

What was Public Prosecutor v Khor Khai Gin Davis [2023] SGHC 304 about?

It was a sentencing decision before Pang Khang Chau J concerning an accused who messaged girls on Instagram and performed sexual acts on three of them, aged 13 to 17, in exchange for cash, decided on 26 October 2023.

What charges did the accused face in [2023] SGHC 304?

The accused faced ten charges, pleaded guilty to four with the rest taken into consideration, including one charge of attempted statutory rape under provisions introduced by the Criminal Law Reform Act 2019, which the court addressed for sentencing.