SINGAPORE — A music teacher has been convicted of molesting his then-18-year-old student during two private cello lessons at a music school.

The 33-year-old Filipino, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, claimed trial to four counts of outraging the modesty of his female Grade 3 student during two lessons in 2016.

As he delivered the verdict on Thursday (April 18), District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt rejected the accused’s case that his classroom was small and that those on the outside would be able to see what was going on as there was a glass panel on every door.

This factor did not “render allegations impossible”, the judge said. “(Molestation can) occur even in the most crowded of spaces, let alone a room.”

District Judge Chay also said that he believed the victim was telling the truth. “Her emotional outpouring to her mother is consistent with being molested. She has no reason to accuse him of such a serious allegation.”

According to the victim, the first incident took place on June 26, 2016, in a classroom of the unnamed music school when the teacher told her that her cello was not placed correctly against her body.

He had touched her chest for about a minute then. Although she felt the act was “weird”, she brushed it off thinking that it was part of the teaching process.

However, his behaviour escalated during the next class the following week.

He placed his hand on her chest several times as he tried to show her the proper way to hold the cello, saying the instrument should not be touching her chest and shoulder areas.

He touched her under her shirt and bra twice and invited her to sit on his chair between his legs.

He also rested his hand on her chest again after a toilet break, said the victim in her testimony.

During the trial, the accused claimed that the chair was too small to accommodate two people and that there was no reason for him to get close to the victim or touch her body. He did not need to physically adjust her cello as she was pursuing Grade 3, which was a more advanced course. Verbal instructions were sufficient at this stage of learning, he had said in his defence.

The music teacher is currently out on S$15,000 bail and will return to court on May 8 for sentencing.

For each count of molestation, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined and/or caned.