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Probation for teen who stole female primary school pupils’ clothing, masturbated at staircase landing

SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old teenager who repeatedly stole numerous female undergarments and primary school uniforms outside flats in public housing blocks was on Wednesday (Aug 25) given one year and nine months’ probation.

The teenager repeatedly stole numerous pieces of clothing, including primary school uniforms, from a Jurong West flat in 2020.

The teenager repeatedly stole numerous pieces of clothing, including primary school uniforms, from a Jurong West flat in 2020.

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  • A teenager repeatedly stole numerous pieces of clothing, including primary school uniforms, from a Jurong West flat 
  • After he was arrested, he went to another block in Jurong East to do the same
  • He touched, smelled and masturbated with the clothing, then left them in nearby dry risers before leaving
  • He was given one year and nine months’ probation

 

SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old teenager who repeatedly stole numerous female undergarments and primary school uniforms outside flats in public housing blocks was on Wednesday (Aug 25) given one year and nine months’ probation.

The Singaporean cannot be named because he was under 18 when he committed most of his crimes from September last year to February this year.

After taking the items, he would touch and smell them before masturbating at staircase landings. 

Before leaving, he would then conceal the items in dry risers, which are installations of pipes used to supply water to fight fire in a building.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to two theft charges. Three similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. 

Under his probation conditions, he must perform 50 hours of community service, stay indoors from 10pm to 6am, and attend offence-specific cognitive behavioural treatment.

District Judge Kessler Soh ordered that he undergo psychological or counselling support from the relevant agencies if necessary, and hand over his electronic devices with internet access to a probation officer for regular checks.

He was also put on an electronic monitoring scheme for a year or until he enlists for National Service. 

His parents posted a bond of S$5,000 to ensure his good behaviour during the probation period.

Probation is usually offered to first-time offenders between 16 and 21 years old. 

It does not result in a recorded criminal conviction and allows young offenders to carry on with their education or employment while serving their sentences.

THE CASE

On the afternoon of Sept 3 last year, the youth went to a Housing and Development Board block in Jurong West to steal women’s clothing.

He took the lift to the eighth storey, walked along the common corridor and noticed some laundry hanging on a bamboo pole perched on a clothing rack outside a flat.

He took two skirts worn by pupils attending primary school, a top and a pair of Physical Education shorts and T-shirt. 

After this, he climbed the stairs to the 10th floor and masturbated next to the staircase landing there. 

He hid the items that he stole in a dry riser beside the staircase landing before leaving.

The unit’s occupants filed a police report that evening.

Police officers reviewed footage from a closed-circuit television camera installed on the ground floor of the block, which showed him loitering there.

He was arrested about a month later.

During investigations, he confessed to having stolen more clothing from the unit on seven previous occasions and masturbating.

The police recovered these items from the dry riser, including dresses, bras and 12 plastic hangers.

The flat’s occupant confirmed that the items belonged to her and that she had noticed that they were missing. 

She did not report this to the police because she thought that her domestic worker could have misplaced them.

Despite being arrested over the incident, the teenager did not stop.

On the evening of Feb 5 this year, he went to another Jurong East block to steal more clothes. 

He took a pair of underwear and two primary school Physical Education tops from a unit on the sixth floor, then walked to the eighth-floor staircase landing and masturbated. 

He again left the clothing in a dry riser there before leaving.

After the owner made a police report, he was arrested once more. The police were unable to recover the clothes this time.

Adult offenders convicted of theft can receive a jail term of up to three years or a fine, or both.

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