SINGAPORE — Having been convicted of sexually assaulting girls aged between 12 and 13 years old, an odd-job worker was on Tuesday (March 27) pleaded guilty to seven additional charges.

Goh Kar Aip, 20, allegedly committed some of the fresh offences — which occurred between June 2015 and January this year, and mainly involved the circulation and sale of obscene photographs and videos — while he was out on bail for his earlier crimes. The additional charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing which will take place later.

Goh had befriended his victims, who were from all-girls’ schools, from September 2014 through social media. Goh, who was 17 years old at the time, was waiting to enlist into National Service.

The court heard that he targeted young girls because he felt that they were “easier to talk to” and would not look down on him for his lack of education.

His modus operandi was largely similar: He would message them privately, introducing himself as “Kai”. After getting to know them, Goh moved on to sexual topics and asked them for photos of their stomachs.

Once he gained their confidence, he would ask for their nude pictures. Sometimes, he would send them obscene pictures of himself in the hope they would reciprocate.

On one occasion, he chatted up a 12-year-old girl on Instagram and asked her to be his girlfriend. The girl, who had just finished her Primary School Leaving Examination, consented. On Dec 19, 2015, he took her to his Hougang flat, where he touched her private parts, and made her perform a sex act on him.

After the encounter, she wanted to break up with him because she was uncomfortable being with a much older person. Goh threatened to send screenshots of their WhatsApp conversation about sexual topics to her school, and she gave in and agreed to meet him. He then performed more invasive sexual acts on her, and took photographs of these acts.

The same month, he chatted up another 12-year-old, who sent him naked pictures of herself. They met on Jan 11, 2016, where he groped her and performed sexual acts with her. Subsequently, they met another three times over three months, where he committed sexual offences against her.

Goh also committed sexual offences against eight other girls.

His offences only came to light when a teacher heard that he was harassing her students, and filed a police report.

A psychiatric report concluded Goh does not have pedophilic disorder but his offences “reflect an underlying attitude that supports or condones sexual violence”, and this would increase his risk of recidivism. 

In their sentencing submissions to the court, the prosecution — led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Ng Yiwen and Chee Ee Ling — argued that Goh’s victims were vulnerable, given their young age.

“He seized on the naivety of the girls. He manipulated these children for the single purpose of satisfying his lust,” DPP Ng said.

The fact that Goh re-offended while on bail for the offences — he had circulated obscene pictures of himself to another three victims — showed a “lack of remorse”. His offences also demonstrated a “significant degree of premeditation and planning”, said DPP Ng, pointing out the clear sexual grooming behaviour exhibited by Goh.

Last month, Goh admitted to four counts of sexual offences — three of sexual penetration of a minor and one of sexual assault by penetration. On top of the seven fresh charges, another 34 charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing.

Calling Goh’s offences “egregious and persistent”, the prosecution urged the court to impose a jail sentence of 15 years, with 15 strokes of the cane.

Defence lawyer Loh Lin Kok asked for a jail term of between 12 and 13 years, with 15 strokes of the cane, arguing that his client was “a young boy… when he committed these offences”.

For sexual penetration of a minor, and sexual assault by penetration, Goh can be jailed up to a maximum of 20 years, with caning.