Kenneth Loh Jiahui, a former lecturer at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, has been sentenced to five months and two weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Jan 16) for intentionally causing a 12-year-old boy to observe an obscene video.
The incident occurred last year and after committing the offence, he was subsequently fired from his position as a lecturer at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, where he taught students between the ages of 17 and 25, according to Channel News Asia.
Loh pleaded guilty to intentionally causing the underage victim to observe a sexual image for the purpose of causing alarm.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court heard that the incident took place on June 8, 2023, when Loh noticed the underage victim at a bus stop in Pasir Ris. Loh decided to follow the boy into a nearby housing block and entered the lift with him. In the lift lobby, Loh accessed a pornographic website on his mobile phone and proceeded to show the boy an explicit video.
The court further heard that Loh purposely targeted the boy because he was small-sized, with the intention of teasing and provoking him in order to elicit a response.
Despite the boy’s clear discomfort and attempts to distance himself, Loh persisted in his actions.
The young boy backed away to the rear of the elevator and occupied himself with his phone, pretending to be engrossed in activity. Nevertheless, Loh persisted and pursued him, keeping the video playing on his own phone. Upon reaching the eighth floor, the boy made a move to exit, but Loh extended his phone towards the boy’s face, making another attempt to display the video.
Ignoring Loh, the boy quickly left the elevator, feeling uncomfortable. Once he arrived home, he immediately reported the unsettling incident to his mother.
The mother promptly called the police for assistance.
After contacting law enforcement for assistance, the authorities were able to identify and apprehend Loh by reviewing the footage from the closed-circuit television cameras. Loh was later arrested.
The prosecution recommended a sentence of between five and six months in jail for the defendant, taking into account the need for stricter punishments for sexual offenses against minors under 14 years old as expressed by parliament.
When sentencing the defendant, District Judge Elton Tan commented that the defendant’s persistence showed a clear dedication to wrongdoing and a lack of remorse at the time. The judge noted that the defendant had targeted a victim who would be in a confined space and likely alone, making it difficult for the victim to avoid him. The judge stated that all of these factors contributed to the defendant’s efforts to make the victim watch the video.
The judge also rejected the defense counsel’s argument that the defendant’s adjustment disorder with depressed mood should be considered when determining his punishment.
A psychiatrist’s report had stated that this disorder was not a mental illness but a normal psychological reaction to life’s challenges and did not affect the defendant’s awareness of the nature and wrongfulness of his actions. The defendant could have faced a maximum sentence of three years in jail, a fine, or both.
Loh’s defence counsel argued that he should receive mitigatory weight due to his adjustment disorder with a depressed mood. However, a psychiatric report deemed the disorder a normal psychological reaction and stated that it did not affect Loh’s understanding of his actions’ nature and wrongfulness.
Prosecutors sought between five and six months’ jail for Loh, citing the need to enforce harsher penalties for sexual offences against minors.
District Judge Elton Tan agreed with the prosecution’s argument, noting Loh’s persistence and lack of remorse. Judge Tan highlighted that Loh took advantage of the boy being in a confined space, making it difficult for him to escape or avoid the explicit content.
Loh could have faced a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. However, he was ultimately sentenced to five months and two weeks’ jail for his actions.
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