Man who raped teen stepdaughter gets 22 years’ jail, caning

The judge noted that the victim hesitated to report the offences out of concern for her younger siblings and how her relationship with her stepfather would be affected.

The victim was placed in a welfare home for two years when her relationship with her family soured.

The victim’s 42-year-old mother has four children with her first husband and three children with the offender, whom she married when the victim was nine.

The victim’s mother and two of her siblings slept on a queen-sized bed, while the other family members slept on mattresses on the floor.

The man, who worked as a delivery driver, installed two CCTV cameras in the flat, purportedly to monitor the children. He was the only one with access to the recordings through his mobile phone.

Raped in van

In June 2023, when the victim was 16 years old, she received lewd text messages from the man asking for sexual acts.

When she refused, he confiscated her phone.

Later that month, at an empty carpark, while the victim was accompanying him on his delivery rounds, he locked the doors and climbed into the back of the van, where she was sorting parcels.

He then raped her while ignoring her cries and pleas for him to stop.

The man returned her mobile phone to her after the assault.

Between July and December 2023, he raped the victim in the van at the carpark on at least five occasions.

In September 2023, a day after she turned 17, the man woke her up by touching her inappropriately while the other family members were sleeping.

He raped her as she cried silently and covered her face with a soft toy.

At around midnight on Feb 13, 2024, the man sent messages to the victim, demanding sexual acts from her for two weeks.

This time, the victim captured a screenshot of his messages before they were deleted.

Shortly after these messages were sent, the man raped her on his mattress.

The girl showed her mother the screenshot, but when the woman confronted the perpetrator, he laughed it off and denied any wrongdoing.

The victim eventually confided in her school teacher, who referred her to the school counsellor.

On Feb 28, 2024, the counsellor reported the incident to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment helpline and a police report was lodged that day.

CCTV recordings and screenshots found in the man’s two mobile phones showed him engaging in sexual acts with the victim.

He was placed in a drug rehabilitation centre from March 2, 2024, to Sept 6, 2025, and then moved to Changi Prison, where he has been remanded since.

In sentencing submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Alexandria Shamini Joseph said the man groomed the victim by sending her lewd messages and took steps to isolate her by enlisting her help with his delivery rounds.

She added: “His threat to confiscate her mobile phone – a possession of particular significance to a young person – reveals a calculated act to manipulate and control the victim through means he knew would be effective against her.”

The man’s lawyer, Don Tan, said his client was aware of his wrongdoing and had apologised to the victim.