Jail for teacher who groomed girl in pri sch, did sex acts on her in Sec 1

A married teacher who groomed a girl he met in primary school and sexually penetrated her when she was an underage secondary school student was sentenced to 14 years and two months’ jail on Nov 22.

The man, who was her Malay language teacher, asked her to be his girlfriend when she was in Primary 6 in 2006, prosecutors said.

Their relationship continued when she entered secondary school, and he started committing sexual acts on her in 2007, when she was around 13.

In earlier proceedings, deputy public prosecutors Santhra Aiyyasamy and Janessa Phua told the court that the man, now 51, kissed the girl’s lips that year and groped her private parts over her clothes a year later.

In 2009, among other things, he made her perform a sexual act on him before he sexually penetrated her the following year, shortly before her 16th birthday, the DPPs added.

After a trial, he was convicted of six counts of sexually exploiting a young person and two counts of sexually penetrating a minor.

In a statement in October, the Ministry of Education said he has been suspended from duty since July 2017, and is no longer teaching in any school.

Details about the man, who was first hauled to court in 2021, and the victim cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect her identity.

In their submissions, the DPPs earlier said: “The accused exploited the power asymmetry between them and sexually groomed the victim... after establishing a relationship with the victim and gaining her trust.”

She had the “intention to marry the accused as his second wife, even though the accused had informed her that he was unwilling to divorce his wife”.

During the trial, the victim testified that he started conversing with her via MSN Messenger in 2006, when he was her Malay language teacher.

They were in a library when he wrote his mobile phone number on a piece of paper and passed it to her.

On Sept 6, 2006, they were in a computer lab when he showed her a piece of paper with the words “Aku cinta padamu”, meaning “I love you” in Malay, on it.

Court documents stated that he then asked her to be his girlfriend, and they became a couple that year.

She testified that they were in a car in 2007 when he kissed her lips.

The DPPs said: “She explained that she remembered this incident vividly because she felt like gagging and because it was the first time she had been kissed.”

She also testified that when she was in Secondary 2 in 2008, he would occasionally pick her up after her co-curricular activity.

The prosecutors added: “The victim provided a compelling account of how the accused’s sexual exploitation of her escalated in severity.

“Besides kissing the victim, the accused began touching her (private parts) over her clothes, and (performed a sexual act) in front of her thereafter.”

According to the victim, she began visiting his flat in 2008.

The DPPs told the court: “She remembered that the accused had reprimanded her for greeting him too loudly as she entered his flat, because he was worried that his neighbours would be aware of her presence.

“It was her testimony that she had to wear a sweater to cover her school uniform as directed by the accused.”

The prosecutors said he would perform sexual acts on her at his home, adding: “She remembered a particular incident when he did so, because the accused’s two young daughters banged on the door looking for their father.”

The court heard that the man’s misconduct escalated over the years and the girl lost her virginity when he sexually penetrated her when she was 15 in November 2010.

The offences came to light in May 2017 when the victim’s sister came across a recording by the girl in which she spoke about losing her virginity.

The sister and their father lodged a police report soon after.

The DPPs said: “The victim had no intention to lodge a police report at all... The victim explained that if she had informed anyone about her relationship with the accused, she feared that the accused would lose his job.

“She was ashamed to share the relationship with her friends due to their age difference... Besides her concern for the accused, the victim was too terrified to leave the accused or report his inappropriate behaviour.”

The man, who is represented by lawyers Steven John Lam and Kenrick Lam, denied committing the offences in all eight charges.

According to him, the sexual relationship between them began only after she turned 16, the legal age of consent in Singapore. He also claimed that she had a motive to falsely implicate him because he refused to divorce his wife and marry her.

On Nov 22, the court heard that he intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence. His bail has been set at $80,000.