Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat said this was in view of the girl’s age, her background, and the need for protection as well as counselling.

Yusoff said a preliminary investigation found that she had started offering the services after going through a difficult time and experiencing great stress, Bernama reported.

He said the girl had been staying with her father in Pasir Puteh since he and her mother divorced.

“We do not dismiss the possibility that someone took advantage of the teenager’s hardship to teach her how to use Telegram to (offer the service and) look for customers.

“This case cannot be approached with a narrow mindset that it’s purely a criminal act. Instead, it requires a holistic rehabilitative approach,” he said.

A 43-year-old woman had lodged a police report after her eldest daughter informed her that the teenager was offering sexual services through Telegram.