Jail, caning for father of 3 who blindfolded 15-year-old 'godson', undressed and molested him

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
April 25, 2023

A recalcitrant sex offender, who was sentenced to jail and caning in 2013 over sex offences against a 13-year-old boy, targeted another teenager eight years later.

Muhammad Mustaqim Juri, 45, was sentenced to 18 months’ jail and four strokes of the cane on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to molesting the 15-year-old boy in 2021.

The victim alerted the police in March 2022.

According to court documents, his latest victim was so distraught that he told the police he wanted to die.

Mustaqim, who was then a father of three young children, had pleaded guilty in 2013 to three counts of sexually abusing the 13-year-old boy.

The offender was given four years and three months’ jail and three strokes of the cane in June that year.

Following his release, Mustaqim, who was the runner-up in a Malay-language cooking competition on television called Chef Selebriti (Celebrity Chef) in 2007, befriended a 15-year-old boy. On Oct 3, 2021, he offered the teenager a job at a restaurant.

The teen went to Mustaqim’s Beach Road flat that day at around 9pm for a discussion regarding the job. The offender also told the boy that he would make him his “godson” and the victim agreed.

A while later, Mustaqim handed the boy a drink.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Teo Lu Jia told the court: “After the victim consumed the drink, the accused told the victim that there was one last ‘test’ that the victim had to undergo. The accused then blindfolded the victim and proceeded to undress the victim.

“The victim... was feeling scared and did not know how to react, as the accused was physically bigger.”

Mustaqim then molested the teenager who was too shocked, distressed and scared to react.

He later gave the victim $50 for taxi fare. The boy then conducted an online check and found out about Mustaqim’s earlier offences.

When confronted, Mustaqim asked the boy to meet him, and he agreed.

On Oct 4, 2021, Mustaqim told the boy that he had been “framed” over his earlier offences before offering the latter a job cleaning chandeliers at his flat.

The boy accepted the offer and performed the task the next day. Mustaqim then offered a pair of shorts and a shirt to the boy to change into.

But on Oct 6, 2021, the boy decided that he no longer wanted to be Mustaqim’s godson and told the offender about it. Mustaqim became angry and told the boy to go to his flat again.

When they met, Mustaqim threatened to tell the police that the boy had purportedly stolen the shorts.

Mustaqim also recorded a video of the victim “confessing” to stealing the garment.

The boy, who had suicidal thoughts following his ordeal, finally alerted the police on March 24, 2022. Mustaqim was arrested the next day.