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Repeat molester gets 19 months’ jail in 6th conviction in a decade

SINGAPORE — A recalcitrant offender who molested and insulted the modesty of women several times over the past decade is again being put behind bars for his latest string of sexual crimes.

Jee Guang You, 33, was sentenced to 19 months’ jail, backdated to his date of remand on July 7, 2020.

Jee Guang You, 33, was sentenced to 19 months’ jail, backdated to his date of remand on July 7, 2020.

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  • In 2019, Jee Guang You held his mobile phone under a 39-year-old woman’s skirt
  • He then molested an 18-year-old girl while she was asleep on the train the next year
  • It was the 33-year-old’s sixth conviction since he was first jailed in 2011
  • A district judge warned that Jee could face preventative detention if he reoffends

 

SINGAPORE — A recalcitrant offender who molested and insulted the modesty of women several times over the past decade is again being put behind bars for his latest string of sexual crimes.

Jee Guang You, 33, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jan 5) to one count each of molestation and insulting the modesty of a woman.

The Singaporean IT technician was sentenced to 19 months’ jail, backdated to his date of remand on July 7 last year.

This was Jee’s sixth conviction since he was first jailed in 2011.

His latest offence happened on June 24, 2019, when he held his mobile phone under a 39-year-old woman’s skirt while she was waiting for the lift alone.

The woman was an administrative executive at a company where Jee worked as an outsourced IT support personnel.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Huo Jiongrui said that Jee had suddenly thought of doing so “for the thrill of it”, although he did not take any upskirt photos or videos.

Even so, the act was still an insult of her modesty because it intruded upon her privacy, he added.

Jee began chatting with the woman, who was unaware of what Jee had done, and took the lift down with her.

Security personnel monitoring the surveillance footage noticed what he did and made a police report after that.

The name of the victim and the office location were not disclosed due to a court order to protect her identity.

Then, on March 23 last year, he molested an 18-year-old girl who was asleep on an MRT train.

They were on the North-South Line travelling towards Jurong East MRT Station.

Jee, who was seated next to the girl that morning, began to develop a “sexual liking” for her, DPP Huo said.

“He felt like he wanted her to be his girlfriend. He started to lean in closer to her. When his shoulder touched hers, she did not react. (Jee) got excited and wanted to see how much further he could go.” 

The girl was awakened by a train announcement and felt Jee touching her chest. She jumped up and exclaimed in frustration and tried to take a photo of Jee with her mobile phone.

When the train pulled up at Jurong East MRT station, Jee dashed out and escaped the girl’s chase. The girl then went to the Jurong West Neighbourhood Police Centre to make a report.

JAILED FOR SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC

In 2011, Jee was jailed six months on two counts each of molest and insulting the modesty of a woman.

In 2013, he was jailed twice — three months for insulting the modesty of a woman and nine months for another case of molestation.

He appeared in court again in 2016 for insulting the modesty of a woman and was sentenced to a mandatory treatment order — a community sentencing option — after he was found to be suffering from abnormal sexual urges.

Less than a year later, he reoffended when he molested a woman whom he followed from the Jurong East MRT Station. His mandatory treatment order was rescinded and he was jailed for 19 months.

In seeking the latest 19-month jail term, DPP Huo highlighted Jee’s repeated “acts of perversion against women” and lack of remorse for molesting the 18-year-old by running away.

The offence, the prosecutor said, was similar to an earlier case when he touched a woman’s breast at a fast-food restaurant.

As for the earlier offence in 2019, even though no upskirt photo or video was taken of the victim, DPP Huo said: “It must be impressed upon him that insulting a woman’s modesty is no less acceptable.”

Jee’s lawyer K Jayakumar Naidu from Jay Law Corporation noted that Jee had a psychiatric condition and is willing to get treatment for his condition after serving his sentence.

“In this case, he reoffended. But more at large, I think he needs help rather than repeatedly sending him to prison.”

Referring to Jee’s reoffending while on mandatory treatment order, District Judge Christopher Goh said: “It was tried the last time but it didn’t work.”

He warned Jee, who appeared in court via video-link from where he was held in remand, that he would be eligible for preventive detention if he reoffends.

This more severe form of punishment is imposed when the court is satisfied that a recalcitrant offender should be locked away so as to protect the public from him.

Those on preventive detention will not be eligible for remission and early release.

“What takes precedence at this point, in my view, is not so much (Jee’s) rehabilitation, but the safety of the public, in particular females,” District Judge Goh added. “They must be able to feel safe when travelling on public transport.”

For molest, Jee could have been jailed up to two years or fined or caned, or any combination of these punishments. For insulting the modesty of a woman, Jee could have been jailed up to a year or fined, or both.

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molest court crime mrt

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