Jail for man, 63, who molested 18-year-old student

SINGAPORE — Under the guise of giving a massage to a fellow church-goer, a man in his 60s molested an 18-year-old student by forcibly removing his clothes, and then squeezing his private parts.

For his offence, Wong Cheung Pok, 63, was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Thursday (April 28).

Court documents showed that at about 11.30pm on April 4 last year, Wong bumped into the teen — who cannot be named due to a court gag order — while taking a bus home.

Wong then invited the teen for a drink at his flat, and they went to the older man’s bedroom for a chat.

There, Wong asked the teen if he wanted a massage after the latter said his legs were tired from playing badminton.

The teen accepted Wong’s offer.

About an hour later, Wong started massaging the teen’s legs — from his feet to the thighs and buttock area. He later squeezed the teen’s private parts.

The teen left Wong’s flat at about 12.30am on April 5, and informed his mother about the incident. She then called the police.

Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew pressed the court to impose a nine-month jail sentence, noting that the teen had thought Wong was someone he could trust.

Defence lawyer Loh Kia Meng, who called for a four-month jail sentence, argued that the Wong’s offence was not premeditated, given that it was a “chance meeting” that escalated into an incident.

Mr Loh added that Wong had shown “great remorse”, and written a letter of apology to the teen’s mother the day after the offence.

In sentencing Wong, District Judge Samuel Chua noted that the accused’s actions were “more forceful” compared to touching.