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SINGAPORE \u2013 A former teacher\u2019s habit of making advances on his female students, including getting one of them to sit on his lap and call him \u201cdaddy\u201d, was exposed when two of his charges alerted the school principal.<\/p>\n
The 41-year-old man, who was married at the time of his offences, was on July 23 sentenced to two years\u2019 jail after he was found guilty by Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu of three counts of performing an indecent act with a child, and one count of sexual grooming.<\/p>\n
Details about the offender and the school cannot be disclosed owing to a gag order to protect the student\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n
The man, who became a fully trained teacher in 2014, taught design and technology (D&T) classes at the school.<\/p>\n
Deputy Public Prosecutors Darren Sim and Ariel Tan told the court in earlier proceedings that he got to know one of the students in 2022 when she was between 13 and 14 years old.<\/p>\n
They initially met at the school\u2019s D&T studio for discussions over the subject, but he also helped her with mathematics, though he did not teach the subject.<\/p>\n
They also regularly communicated via WhatsApp. The prosecutors said that their conversations were extensive, and frequently took place after 6.30pm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring these conversations, the complainant addressed the accused as \u2018daddy\u2019, \u2018dearest daddy\u2019, and similar variations from… 2022 to the end of January 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn return, the accused addressed the complainant as his \u2018dearest daughter\u2019 and variations of the term,\u201d the prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
The man also frequently gave her unsolicited compliments on her physical appearance, and according to the student, told her in a now deleted message that he would date her in the future, marry her and make her his wife.<\/p>\n
The man was aware that it was inappropriate, said the prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Around Nov 16, 2022, the man was warned by his subject head that it was inappropriate for the student to refer to him as \u201cdaddy\u201d.<\/p>\n
The DPPs said: \u201cAfter receiving the warning, the accused deleted all the photos that the complainant had sent to him via WhatsApp and instructed the complainant to… delete all photos and messages between them, in case her phone was checked.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man then communicated with the girl on Instagram using the \u201cvanishing mode\u201d \u2013 a feature specifically designed to prevent screenshots and screen recordings of messages.<\/p>\n
At the trial, the girl testified that from September to November 2022, they met at least five times during which he would hug her and kiss her cheeks.<\/p>\n
The DPPs said that at one meeting in the D&T room, he instructed her to sit on his lap. She did it, despite feeling uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors added: \u201cHe stroked her stomach with his thumb for about a minute. The accused also hugged the complainant more than 10 times and kissed her on the cheeks and forehead… Furthermore, when she was sitting on his lap, the accused told her that he had not had sex with his wife in two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
They added that the student also kissed the man on his cheeks. He did the same thing again on Nov 28, 2022, while they were in a car which he had rented.<\/p>\n
At one meeting at an alley behind the school hall in January 2023, the man hugged his student and she reciprocated.<\/p>\n
He then kissed her forehead a few times, and said \u201cI love you\u201d and \u201cI miss you\u201d several times. The student replied in kind.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors said that in May 2023, he suddenly told her that they could not \u201cbe close\u201d any more.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that, the accused began treating the complainant poorly. He specifically called her \u2018mentally ill\u2019, told her that she was demanding, and avoided her whenever they walked past each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complainant testified that in the initial stage, she felt devastated from receiving such treatment from the accused and her academic grades began to plummet,\u201d added the prosecutors.<\/p>\n
When she found out that he had been making advances on another female student, she approached the other girl and suggested that they report him to the school principal together.<\/p>\n
He was arrested and charged in court in 2024.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya told The Straits Times after the case ended that his client had left his job after he was suspended.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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