Teen addicted to sexually explicit manga genre gets reformative training for molesting niece

SINGAPORE — A teenager who was addicted to hentai, a sexually explicit genre of Japanese manga and anime, molested his seven-year-old niece on three occasions while she sat on his lap watching anime.

On Tuesday (July 26), the now 20-year-old youth was ordered to undergo at least six months of reformative training — a regimented rehabilitation programme for offenders under 21 who commit relatively serious crimes.

The Malaysian had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of molestation of a minor. Two other charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Adult offenders convicted of the offence can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or be punished with any combination of the three.

He cannot be named due to a court order to protect the identity of his niece, who is now aged nine.

The court previously heard that he and his family moved from Malaysia to Singapore on March 16, 2020 to live with his niece and aunt.

The youth shared a close relationship with the girl who called him “big brother”.

Between then and June 27, 2020, he touched the girl’s private parts over her pants on three occasions while she was sitting on his lap. She was either aged six or seven at the time.

He was caught red-handed when the girl’s mother came across her daughter sitting on his lap watching something on an electronic tablet, during a visit to a friend’s house.

The woman confronted her nephew, thinking that they looked as if they were hiding something from her. He then admitted that he had touched the girl inappropriately for a few seconds while she watched an anime show on the tablet.

The girl’s mother made a police report two days later.

During investigations, he told the police that he did so because he was addicted to watching hentai — a genre of Japanese manga and anime characterised by overtly sexualised characters, as well as sexually explicit images and plots.

He felt guilty whenever he molested his niece but continued anyway, the court further heard.

Reformative training is a more serious punishment for young offenders, who can also be sentenced to probation.

The latter is usually offered to first-time offenders aged between 16 and 21, and does not result in a criminal record.

It also allows young offenders to continue with their education or employment while serving their sentences.