Teenager agreed to sex in exchange for tutoring, co-defendant tells police in video interview

The High Court heard on Tuesday that a 24-year-old engineering intern accused of sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl told police he had agreed to tutor her in exchange for sex.

The court played a video-recorded interview with the third defendant, Ng Kai-ching, who was 21 at the time and studying electronic engineering at HKUST. He said he met the girl, identified as X, through the dating app Heymandi and that they had reached a consensus before meeting.

Ng said that on May 27, 2023, he tutored X for about 1.5 to 2 hours at his flat in Fuk Loi Estate, Tsuen Wan, after which they had sex. He said X removed his shorts and underwear and performed oral sex on him. He said they used a condom during intercourse but stopped when he noticed blood, suspecting she was menstruating. X then masturbated him. Ng described X as taking the initiative.

Asked why he had sex with X knowing she was under 16, Ng said it was out of sexual need and because he felt lonely, and hoped to gain satisfaction through sex.

Defence claims police intimidation

The defence cross-examined the officer who conducted the video interview, alleging that four officers went to Ng's home to arrest him and that one pushed him onto a sofa and shouted: "The girl is only 14, did you have sex with her?" 

The defence said the officers surrounded Ng and told him the girl had already given a statement saying they had sex twice, and that police had obtained CCTV footage from the estate. When Ng asked if he would go to jail, an officer allegedly replied that admitting would mean "a very small matter, at most a fine, and you can leave on bail in the afternoon." 

The defence also alleged an officer said during the trip to the police station: "If you don't plead guilty and make things difficult for us, we won't let you off easy." The defence argued Ng fabricated the sexual encounter details under intimidation and inducement. The officer denied the claims in court.

The defendants

The five defendants are Tam Siu-chun, 28, a primary school teacher; Chan Ka-ming, 33, a land executive; Ng Kai-ching, 24, an engineering intern; Tso Kit-ting, 31, a firefighter; and Wong Pak-hong, 28, a YouTuber.

Each faces one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 and one count of committing an act of gross indecency with a child. Tso faces an additional charge of non-consensual buggery, while Wong faces two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The incidents allegedly occurred between May 3 and June 2, 2023, when X was 14.

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