SINGAPORE: A man who worked at a home for children and youth in need of protection sexually abused a 15-year-old girl who had previously stayed there. The pair began a romantic relationship after she left the home.
In mitigation, the man said that he was also a victim and claimed that he was “gaslighted” by the victim, who led him on.
The 31-year-old Singaporean man, who was not represented by a lawyer, was sentenced on Thursday (Oct 29) to two-and-a-half years’ jail.
He pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a minor. Another five charges were taken into consideration.
He cannot be named due to a court order protecting the victim’s identity, which covers his name and the name of the home where the girl stayed.
THE CASE
The man was 27 years old at the time of the offence and worked in an Interim Placement and Assessment Centre overseeing male residents. He had joined the centre as a youth worker in April 2021.
An Interim Placement and Assessment Centre is a residential facility providing temporary care for children and youth under the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Child Protective Service.
The victim was 15 and was placed in the centre because of a report of family violence, where she was a victim.
The pair knew each other at the centre, although the man’s duties did not formally involve her.
They interacted when the male and female residents played games together, with staff members involved.
In February 2022, the victim was moved to another home. She wrote farewell cards to staff members at the centre, including the offender.
In her note to him, she included her contact details and gave him the note personally because she had a crush on him, the court heard.
The offender then contacted her in March 2022 and they began chatting regularly. This was despite the man knowing that he should not contact a resident or former resident of the centre.
In April 2022, the pair met in person. The man, who had a second job as a private-hire driver with Grab, picked up the girl from school and drove her to a car park where they talked and held hands.
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