Gojek driver jailed for molesting 16-year-old passenger

When he arrived at her destination at around 3am, he tried to wake her by calling out to her and shaking her, but she did not stir.

“The accused looked at the victim and thought that she looked sexy. He then formed an intention to take photos of her with (his) handphone so that he could masturbate with it,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh told the court.

Ong adjusted the teen’s clothes and underwear to reveal her private parts before taking photos of her.

After taking the photos, he used his phone to record himself touching the victim’s private parts while he was standing outside the rear passenger door. The video was about three minutes long.

Ong then returned to the driver’s seat and watched YouTube videos while he waited for the teen to wake up.

She woke up about 10 to 15 minutes later, paid her fare and left. She was unaware of Ong’s actions, and found out only after the police told her.

Just over a month later, Ong got into a traffic accident in Woodlands Avenue 12. He used his phone to take photos of the vehicles involved in the accident.

The next day, on April 7, 2022, he went to Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre to lodge a police report about the accident.

In the course of lodging the report, Ong handed his phone to a police officer to show the officer photos of the accident.

While looking through the media gallery on Ong’s phone, the police officer saw the video of Ong molesting the teen.

The officer helped Ong lodge a report about the accident. Ong was also questioned over the obscene content. He was arrested on the same day and his phone was seized.

DPP Poh sought a sentence of between 14 months and 17 months’ jail for Ong, with an additional two to three months in lieu of four to six strokes of the cane.

She said the case was an opportunistic assault by a private-hire driver committed against his inebriated passenger and hence warranted a stiff sentence.

DPP Poh added that the victim was especially vulnerable because she was heavily intoxicated and asleep.

For molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.