Ex-SAF regular gets 14 years’ jail, caning for raping friend and molesting another; preyed on 10-year-old girl

• A man first sexually violated a 15-year-old girl before raping his longtime friend three years later
• The friend was completely unresponsive due to her intoxicated state
• He then molested another friend after they had drinks at a bar
• Several months later, a 10-year-old girl sent him a nude photo on his request

SINGAPORE — A 24-year-old man who committed a string of sexual offences over four years, targeting two close friends and two underage girls, was sentenced in the High Court to 14 years’ jail and 15 strokes of the cane on Wednesday (Aug 4).  

Justice Aedit Abdullah noted that the man had broken the law while out on bail, and betrayed his friends’ trust in him.

He was an army regular in the Singapore Armed Forces when he was arrested, though court documents did not state the exact date of arrest.

In response to TODAY’s queries, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said he had been suspended from all duties following his arrest. With the conclusion of court proceedings, he has now been discharged from service.

“The SAF holds its servicemen to high standards of discipline and integrity, and expects them to abide by the law. Those who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson added.

The man has been in remand since June 26 last year and cannot be named due to a court order to protect his victims’ identities.

The man had raped his longtime friend in his bedroom after she passed out from a night of drinking. He also gave her a sexually transmitted disease. 

They often met for drinking sessions and she did not consciously monitor her alcohol intake, trusting him to take care of her, the court previously heard.

Three months later, he lured another friend to a Geylang hotel and repeatedly molested her. He had asked her out when he noticed that she was having relationship problems.

Then, within a month of getting to know a 10-year-old girl on the dating application Tinder, he got her to send him a nude photograph of herself over messaging platform Telegram.

When the police seized his mobile phone during investigations, they discovered that he had performed a sex act on an underage girl four years ago.

He pleaded guilty last week to one charge each of rape, outrage of modesty and procuring the commission of an indecent act by a child.

Three other charges of sexual assault by penetration, molestation and sexual penetration of a minor were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Justice Aedit told the court on Wednesday: “I can only hope that (the victims) are able to heal and repair their lives, and put these events behind them. I trust that they will have access to the required support.”

The judge also noted that there would be “general consternation” over how the 10-year-old girl could have accessed Tinder, “which would have been meant for adults or at least a much older teen”.

“The circumstances of her use of this app are not before me, but I again would trust that the matter is being looked into now, if it has not been before, by the relevant agencies and technology companies involved,” Justice Aedit added.

For rape, the man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.

Those convicted of molestation can be jailed for up to two years or fined or caned, or receive any combination of the three.

First-time offenders who procure an indecent act from a child can be jailed for up to five years or fined up to S$10,000, or both. The punishment can be doubled for subsequent offences.

WHAT HE DID

The young man first broke the law in 2015 at age 19 after meeting a 15-year-old schoolgirl on Facebook. They were watching a movie at a cinema when he sexually violated her.

He then targeted his good friend from secondary school. On June 10, 2018, they met another male friend and ordered an “alcohol buffet” at a bar.

She grew increasingly intoxicated as the night wore on, losing her balance at one point and knocking her head against a pool table.

They left after midnight with the two men taking turns to carry the unconscious victim to the taxi stand.

The accused told the other man that he intended to let her rest at his home first, because she previously told him that her parents would be upset if she returned home drunk.

The other man helped her into the accused’s bedroom before leaving.

The accused later sexually assaulted her before raping her without using a condom. She was completely unresponsive throughout the assault.

When she went home later, she felt pain in her private parts and sent a message to the accused, asking if he had done anything to her.

It was only over a phone call later that evening that he admitted to violating her. She had been a virgin before this.

She was examined at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and tested positive for gardnerella and chlamydia. The accused’s urine later tested positive for chlamydia as well.

Just a few months later, on Sept 13, 2018, he reached out to another former secondary schoolmate on Instagram after seeing that she was having problems with her boyfriend.

They met to chat and went to a bar where they shared three litres of beer. He molested her several times there even though she told him to stop.

She then turned down his offer to sleep at a hotel, but after he booked her a private-hire ride home and got into the car with her, she realised that he was taking her to Geylang instead.

He ignored her request to go home and she had no choice but to follow him into Golden Star Hotel at 31 Lorong 8 Geylang. He molested her there while she struggled and unsuccessfully tried to resist him.

He eventually gave up and she left the hotel, feeling traumatised and disgusted, before making a police report.

In June 2019, he went on Tinder and met the 10-year-old girl, who told him that she was 11. They were playing “truth or dare” over Telegram when she complied with his dare for her to send a nude photo of herself.

Police officers were in the midst of investigating his case when they uncovered his offence against the 15-year-old girl.

He later admitted to the authorities that he had a sexual fetish for young girls. He would search for photos and videos of them on pornographic websites, using terms such as “female primary school student” and “rape young girls”.

He was assessed at the Institute of Mental Health and found to have paraphilic tendencies but not to be of unsound mind.