Ex-manager of PA residents' network sexually abused and took nude pics of intellectually disabled teen

Selina Lum
The Straits Times
Oct 31, 2023

A former manager of a residents’ network under the People’s Association (PA) who sexually abused a 15-year-old intellectually disabled girl after getting to know her family through his position was sentenced to 18 years’ jail on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old had pleaded guilty in September to three charges of exploitative sexual penetration of a minor, committed on three occasions between Dec 5 and Dec 20, 2021.

He had taken the teen on outings and got her to put up posters in the neighbourhood. Following these innocuous activities, he took her to his office, where he violated her and took photographs of her in the nude.

The victim was a student at a specialised school, and has an IQ of 66. An average child’s IQ is 100.

The sentence includes a one-year jail term in lieu of caning. The man cannot be caned as he is over the age of 50. He cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.

Another 15 charges, including three for producing child abuse material and two for obstructing the course of justice, were taken into consideration during sentencing.

In sentencing, Justice Mavis Chionh said the man had specifically targeted the victim knowing that she was vulnerable by virtue of her intellectual disability, as he had noticed that she was a slower learner than her younger sister.

The judge said there was evidence of premeditation, as the man took steps to obstruct the view of the surveillance camera in his office before carrying out sexual acts on the girl.

Justice Chionh added that the man’s position gave him an excuse to ask the victim’s grandaunt for permission to take the girl out.

After having gained physical access to the victim, the man took steps to allay any concerns by sending her grandaunt photographs of the girl taking part in innocuous activities.

The judge said the man’s actions caused severe harm to the girl, as well as her relationship with her family.

The girl experienced inability to sleep, continued bouts of crying, and suicide ideation, while also engaging in self-harm.

She also blamed herself for what had happened, and became scared of her grandaunt, who initially blamed the victim for being victimised.

The judge added: “It is also my sincere hope that the victim will in time come to understand that none of what happened is her fault; and that she will in time be able – with the support of her family and her community – to step back into the light, to forge her own courageous path.”

A residents’ network is a grassroots organisation under the PA that is set up to, among other things, promote social cohesion among residents.

The man got to know the victim’s family, which was identified as a household in financial need, in 2015.

He helped the grandaunt, who was the family’s sole breadwinner, to find jobs and occasionally bought food for the family. In turn, the grandaunt regularly helped out at events organised by the residents’ network.

She grew to trust the man and had no reservations about him being left alone with the victim.

The victim held the man in high esteem as she knew he used to be a school teacher. He also helped her with her schoolwork.

On Dec 1, 2021, after getting permission from the grandaunt, the man took the girl to Jewel Changi Airport. There, he took several photos of the girl, which he later sent to her grandaunt.

After the outing, he took the girl back to his office, where he blocked the view of a surveillance camera before carrying out sexual acts on the girl and taking photos of her bare body.

Four days later, he again took the victim to Jewel Changi Airport before sexually violating her in his office.

On Dec 13, with permission from her grandaunt, the man got the girl to help him put up posters around the neighbourhood.

Back in his office, he carried out sex acts on her, and also took 78 photographs and recorded four videos of his acts.

On Dec 20, he again sexually violated her in his office after she helped him put up posters.

This time, he told her to pose for him and took 106 nude photos of her.

He also showed her a pornographic video and offered her money to perform oral sex on him.

The man’s trousers were lowered when the chairman of the grassroots organisation walked into the man’s office. The chairman then left quickly.

Later that day, the man called the chairman to seek forgiveness and pleaded with the witness to keep quiet.

The following day, he messaged the chairman to ask for a second chance and offered $200 a month to the victim’s family.

However, the chairman had already raised the matter with the director of the constituency, who made a police report on Dec 22, 2021.

The man was arrested the same day.