A 25-year-old Indian national, Pramender, was sentenced to three months in jail on Friday, May 16, after pleading guilty to charges related to molesting a 12-year-old girl at Jalan Besar Swimming Complex.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE:
- The defendant followed and physically touched the 12-year-old girl, including a brief side hug, after she declined his social media request.
- He engaged in persistent efforts to communicate with her via Instagram, sending 13 messages during a short period, and attempted to lure her into the toilets.
- The victim’s cousins’ intervention prevented further contact, and the court emphasized her vulnerability and the predatory nature of the defendant’s actions in sentencing.
WHAT HAPPENED AT SWIMMING COMPLEX
According to Channel News Asia, the incident occurred on March 31, and Pramender was also convicted of attempting to procure an indecent act and trespassing, with the latter taken into account for sentencing.
The court heard that the young girl was at the swimming complex with her family, including her aunt, uncle, and five cousins. Around 5:50 pm, she exited a pool, saw Pramender staring at her from the pool, and proceeded to the female toilet.
As she approached, he followed her and asked her to follow him on Instagram, which she declined. Despite her refusal, Pramender took her phone, accessed her unlocked Instagram account, and followed his own account.
While using her phone, he stretched out his arm over her back in a side hug lasting about five seconds, making contact with parts of her that were not covered by her swimsuit or towel when her towel slipped. The girl was left shocked and frightened. He then asked her to go into the female toilet with him, pulled her in that direction, but she resisted and managed to escape.
Pramender entered the female toilet alone, called out to her, but she continued to refuse his advances and left the toilet. He then followed her to the male toilet, called out again, and was rebuffed once more. As she walked away, he sat on a bench outside, asking her to sit with him, but she rejected him.
The girl then confided in her cousins, who accompanied her to the female toilet. Pramender followed again, loitering outside the entrance while they were inside. Her male cousin intervened, telling the accused to leave, and he eventually sat on a bench outside the male toilet to wait for her.
As per the CNA report, during this wait, he called her twice and sent 13 Instagram messages, including “Waiting for you,” “please outside meet,” “I like you,” “u brother waiting,” “reply please,” and “u come,” which the girl saw while inside the toilet and felt scared.
The girl and her cousin then reported the incident to a lifeguard, and her mother later reported it to the police around 11 pm. Pramender was arrested on April 2.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashley Chin emphasized the girl’s young age and vulnerability, noting “some degree of exploitation.” She described the defendant’s conduct as “clear, intentional and repeated attempts” to procure an indecent act.
In his mitigation plea, Pramender expressed remorse, apologized, and asked for forgiveness through a translator.
As per ST report, he said “I just ask for forgiveness, Your Honour. I have already apologised to the girl’s family. My mother is a cancer patient, and I’d like to return to India as soon as possible.”
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt highlighted that the situation could have been worse if not for the quick intervention of the victim’s cousins.
The judge sentenced Pramender to three months in jail.
The charges he faced included attempting to procure an indecent act by a child under 16, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine, and molestation of a child under 14, which can result in up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or both.
Image via GoogleMap
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