Former teacher jailed six months for kissing student, 14, on the lips
A teacher who kissed a 14-year-old student twice on her lips after a school outing was yesterday jailed for six months.
The 35-year-old man, who pleaded guilty last month to committing an indecent act on the minor, cannot be named to protect the girl's identity.
He taught at a local school where he was in charge of the girl's co-curricular activity (CCA), the court heard.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ben Tan said the teacher had been exchanging text messages with the girl. They had also gone out together twice.
On July 28 last year, the teacher was a chaperone for a school outing to watch a play. When the show ended, he asked the girl out to dinner and she accepted.
DPP Tan told District Judge Salina Ishak that after their dinner, the accused asked the victim to sit next to him.
When the victim complied, the accused placed his right arm over her shoulder.
DPP Tan said: "The accused then leaned towards the victim and kissed the victim on her lips. The victim was shocked and nervous."
The court heard that she burst out laughing as she was unsure how to react.
After they left the restaurant, the girl told him she wanted to go home as it was late.
They were walking up a flight of stairs when he called out to her.
She turned around and he kissed her again on the lips.
She later told another teacher about the incident, and the police were alerted.
In an earlier statement, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education told The Straits Times the teacher has been suspended since last September and is no longer at the school.
First-time offenders convicted of committing an indecent act on a minor can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to $20,000.
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