SINGAPORE — When a 12-year-old girl asked Huang Youcai for directions to the toilet, the 79-year-old cleaner trapped her in a washroom for the handicapped and asked if she could engage in a sex act with him.

On Monday (April 15), Huang, a Singapore permanent resident, was sentenced to two months' jail after pleading guilty to attempting to procure an obscene act from a child below the age of 16.

Another charge for wrongful confinement was taken into consideration in sentencing.

The 12-year-old victim cannot be named to protect her identity.

WHAT HAPPENED

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yap Jia Jun told the court that Huang had been employed as a cleaner at Senja-Cashew Community Club along Bukit Panjang Road since 2022.

On Feb 1 last year at around 8.15pm, the girl was at the community club and asked him for directions to the toilet. Huang then took her to the toilet on the second floor.

"The victim wanted to enter the female toilet, but the accused told her to go to the handicapped toilet instead. She obeyed the accused," DPP Yap said.

While she was using the toilet, Huang waited along the corridor.

When the girl opened the toilet door to exit, Huang prevented her from leaving by standing at the doorway.

He then entered the toilet and closed the door behind him.

In the toilet, Huang spoke to the girl in Mandarin and asked her for help with his mobile phone.

As he held the girl's left forearm, Huang gestured to his private parts and asked her if she knew how to perform a sex act.

"The victim tried to tell the accused that she had to return to her tuition class. When she reached out to open the toilet door, the accused held onto her left hand," DPP Yap said.

"The victim knew that the accused was asking her questions, but did not understand what he was saying. The victim felt uncomfortable with the accused’s actions."

As he could not communicate with the girl, Huang opened the toilet door at around 8.20pm and they both left.

DPP Yap said that the incident lasted around two minutes.

The victim's mother made a police report on Feb 3. DPP Yap did not say how she found out and why she filed the report two days later.

'OPPORTUNISTIC'

Huang's lawyer, Ms Caryn Lee from IRB Law, told the court that Huang had moved to Singapore from China in 1998 to seek a better life after growing up in poverty, and worked hard to provide for his three children.

She added that Huang had not planned to commit the crime, but had formed the intention to do so on the spot. 

He has also quit his cleaning job at the community club.

Ms Lee added that Huang has anxiety and depression, and she urged the court to consider his mental health in sentencing.

In response, DPP Yap said that although Huang was found to have mixed anxiety-depressive disorder following an assessment by the Institute of Mental Health, his disorder was found to have "no contributory link to the offending (and) no impediment on self-control and judgement".

District Judge Carol Ling acknowledged that Huang's mental health had not contributed to his actions, and added that his offence was "opportunistic".

She noted that Huang had forced his way into the toilet and confined the victim, but he had done so only for a short period.

For attempting to procure an obscene act with a child, Huang could have been fined up to S$10,000 or been jailed up to seven years, or both.