The High Court on Friday handed down the sentence to Wang Minjiang, 36, in the first case to be decided by the court under a new law aimed at protecting the young from sexual exploitation.

The provision in the Penal Code, which makes it a crime to pay for sex with someone under the age of 18, came into effect in February.

Wang had originally been fined $8,000 for the offence by a district court but the prosecution appealed, arguing he should be jailed between 12 and 18 months.

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