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SINGAPORE: A 64-year-old man who molested his two young granddaughters under the pretext of playing mobile phone games with them was jailed for five years, two months and four weeks on Friday (Apr 17).<\/p>\n
At the time of the offences in 2025, his elder granddaughter was aged between nine and 10, while the younger was between eight and nine.<\/p>\n
None of the parties can be named to protect the victims’ identities.<\/p>\n
The accused, a cleaner, pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated molest in the State Courts. He resided with the two victims and other family members.<\/p>\n
The court heard how the accused had a close relationship with his two granddaughters, who would regularly play board and mobile phone games with him while sitting on a sofa.<\/p>\n
Last year, he began to feel aroused by the two girls and “felt tempted to perform sexual acts on them” court documents stated.<\/p>\n
“The accused began to use the pretext of playing handphone games with the two victims to get them to sit next to him on the sofa,” the prosecution said. He targeted them separately.<\/p>\n
While each girl was distracted by the game, the accused would molest them either over their clothing or their bare skin.<\/p>\n
The younger girl told a social worker that her grandfather had touched her private parts, leading to the eventual filing of a police report on Jan 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
This girl reported experiencing flashbacks of the offences and would run away from the accused.<\/p>\n
The man was arrested on Feb 6 this year. He was remanded for psychiatric assessment but was found not to be suffering from any mental disorder and was not intellectually disabled.<\/p>\n
His risk of sexual reoffending was assessed to be at least moderate, particularly if he continued living with the victims.<\/p>\n
The prosecution argued for a jail term of 46 to 53 months and 12 weeks.<\/p>\n
For molesting a person under 14, an offender can be jailed up to five years, and\/or fined, and\/or caned. The accused cannot be caned as he is above 50.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the offence is against a victim in a close relationship, an offender can face twice the maximum penalty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n