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16 years’ jail, 15 strokes for 20-year-old who used social media to sexually prey on schoolgirls

SINGAPORE — In a sexual assault case which the judge said the minors' consent was "not relevant as a mitigating factor", a 20-year-old odd-job worker was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 15 strokes of cane on Monday (April 23).

Goh Kar Aip, 20, was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 15 strokes of cane on Monday (April 23).

Goh Kar Aip, 20, was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 15 strokes of cane on Monday (April 23).

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SINGAPORE — In a sexual assault case which the judge said the minors' consent was "not relevant as a mitigating factor", a 20-year-old odd-job worker was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 15 strokes of cane on Monday (April 23).

In giving Goh Kar Aip a higher sentence than what was sought by the prosecution, Justice Kannan Ramesh said the sentence reflects on his criminality and is not excessive, adding that the accused showed no remorse or contrition throughout his court proceedings.

Last month, Goh pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual offences – three of sexual penetration of a 13-year-old girl and one of sexual assault by penetration of a 12-year-old girl without her consent.

The Singapore permanent resident, who helps out at his mother's school canteen stall, had 41 other charges taken into consideration for his sentencing.

He committed seven of these offences while out on bail for his earlier crimes of sexual assault on 10 victims aged between 12 and 13, as well as circulating and selling obscene photographs and videos between June 2015 and January this year.

Goh could have been jailed up to 20 years.

Arguing that his client committed most of his offences while he was "a young boy" at age 17, as he was waiting to enlist into National Service, his lawyer, Mr Loh Lin Kok, had asked for a jail term of between 12 and 13 years with 15 strokes of cane.

But the prosecution sought at least 15 years' imprisonment and 15 strokes of cane, noting that his offences were "egregious and persistent".

"Through the use of social media, the accused preyed on the naivety and innocence of vulnerable young girls, promising them sweet romance and love. Unbeknownst to these young victims, the accused saw them as nothing more than sexual objects, whom he could exploit to satiate his odious sexual urges," wrote Deputy Public Prosecutors Ng Yiwen and Chee Ee Ling in their sentencing submissions.

Goh had targeted young girls as he felt they were "easier to talk to" and would not look down on him for his lack of education.

Using largely similar modus operandi, he befriended his young victims – all of whom attended all-girls' schools – on social media from September 2014.

After getting to know them, he moved on to sexual topics, and asked them for photos of their stomachs, and later, nude photos.

He would at times send them obscene photos of himself so they might reciprocate.

On one occasion, he chatted up a 12-year-old girl who had just finished her Primary School Leaving Examination on Instagram, and asked her to be his girlfriend.

After she consented, he took her to his Hougang flat on Dec 19, 2015. There, he touched her private parts and made her perform a sex act on him.

When she wanted to break up with him after the encounter, Goh threatened to send screenshots of their WhatsApp conversation, in which they discussed sexual topics, to her school.

The girl then gave in and agreed to meet him again. This time, he performed more invasive sexual acts on her, and took photographs of these acts.

That same month, he chatted up another 12-year-old, and received naked photos from her. They then met four times over three months, with Goh committing sexual offences against her each time.

Eight more victims later, Goh's offences came to light only when a teacher filed a police report after hearing that he was harassing her students.

Goh started serving his jail sentence on Monday.

He had asked for a two-week deferment, stating that his mother is still "not feeling well", following a terrible bout of headache for which she was hospitalised after his last court session close to a month ago.

"Sixteen years (of jail) is a long time, so I beg your honour to give (me the) final two weeks to make sure she is okay," he told the court.

But Justice Kannan turned down his request, pointing out that he had close to a month to make the necessary arrangements, since he knew that he would be sentenced on Monday.

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