Man, 55, jailed for repeatedly molesting teen daughter
The teenager should have been safe in her own home with her biological father.
Instead he molested her repeatedly, causing her to suffer trauma that had her contemplating suicide.
Sentencing the 55-year-old to three years and five months' jail yesterday, District Judge Marvin Bay described the father's crime as "a deeply egregious betrayal" of his own biological daughter.
"In sentencing, the court must take a firm stand against this manner of sexual exploitation of vulnerable family members, and punishments must be accordingly uncompromising and severe," he added.
The Singaporean, who had pleaded guilty to three molestation charges, cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his daughter's identity.
The girl's ordeal started in 2015, when she was 14 years old.
The man lived in a Woodlands flat with his then-wife, her mother, his daughter and three sons, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Yeo told the court.
SHARED BEDROOM
He shared the master bedroom with his spouse, the victim and his youngest son. On several occasions, the operations specialist, who worked the night shift, returned home when the children's mother was at work.
Sometime in 2015, he returned home around 8am and was resting on a mattress placed on the floor when his son started crying. The boy was sharing a bed with the victim.
DPP Yeo said the man joined them and rested between his two children.
At one point, the girl, who was then sleeping, turned her body and one of her legs rested on her father's thigh.
Feeling sexually aroused, the man molested his daughter for the first time, and did it again on two other occasions.
On Nov 6, 2017, the girl made a police report and the father was arrested the next day.
The court heard the girl was plagued by nightmares and had even considered ending her life.
The man is now out bail of $80,000 and will have to surrender himself at the State Courts on Aug 20 to begin serving his jail term. He cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
