This is story of man who was an allied educator & also coach of a co-curricular activity molested 13 students over more than two years.
This came into light when one of the victim’s mother ws told by a CCA members that he had witnessed the coach touching and kissing some of his CCA mates.
The 39-year-old man, pleaded guilty on Thursday (Oct 27) to six charges. The charges include multiple charges of molestation, procuring an indecent act by a young person and using insulting behaviour causing alarm and distress. Another 23 charges will be considered in sentencing, according to Channel News Aisa.
According to the court documents the 39-year-old taught English and Literature and was the coach for a CCA that was similarly not identified in court documents. Other details about the man, the victims and the school cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the victims’ identities.
“whatever happens in the … lab stays in the … lab”.
The individual sexually assaulted 13 CCA-affiliated students in a lab between the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2018. On his orders, the lab’s blinds were always kept closed, and he frequently reminded students that “whatever happens in the … lab stays in the … lab”.
Additionally, he molested students during overnight chalets planned just for CCA members. The only coach or teacher to spend the night with the students was him.
According to Straits Times, in late 2015, the man molested a 13-year-old boy at a chalet during an informal overnight retreat for the CCA.
“Boy felt helpless“
The boy had fallen asleep on a couch, but woke up to find himself on a bed and the man touching his private parts. He was too afraid to react and pretended to sleep while the act continued for 10 to 15 minutes. The boy got up only after the man fell asleep.
Between June 2016 and December 2017, the offender asked this same boy for a kiss on the lips in the school lab by doing this the man committed an offence under the Children and Young Persons Act.
Although the boy was reluctant, he felt pressured by the teacher-in-charge and agreed to do so.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Lee Zu Zhao and Tan Hsiao Tien said the boy felt disgusted and extremely uncomfortable, but kept silent because he did not know how to react.
They said: “He felt helpless and did not know who he could approach for help. He did not confide in his close friends or family because he did not know how to explain the situation and was unsure of how they would react.”
Feeling extremely stressed about the incident, the boy called the helpline of the Association of Women for Action and Research’s sexual assault care centre and told them he had been molested by the man since Secondary 1.
However, when a case manager from the centre tried to contact the boy to follow up, he did not respond because he was afraid. The CCA had a clubroom in the school, which the boys used for their activities.
“Legs hairy“
According to CNA, between March 2017 and December 2017, a 14-year-old boy went to the lab to discuss matters about the CCA with the accused.
During the conversation, the accused said that the boy’s “leg was hairy” and asked if it was similarly “hairy” elsewhere. The boy did not reply.
The man then made a lewd comment and offered to show the boy his own hair. The boy rejected him, but the man plucked out a hair and held it near the boy’s face. The boy felt shocked, insulted and disgusted, the court heard.
The man also molested a 13-year-old boy in October 2018 while they were in the lab. He asked the boy a lewd question while molesting him, shocking the boy who asked to go to the toilet. The boy did not dare to confront the offender or tell him about his discomfort as he was afraid of the man.
After this, the boy went to the lab less frequently as he was afraid he would be molested again. He would go there only if many other students were around, CNA reported.
“Blackhead”
Midway through 2018, when the two were in the lab, the offender used a metal blackhead extractor to remove a blackhead from the nose of a 15-year-old boy.
He then requested the youngster to sit on his lap after doing so. The child complied because he believed the man intended to remove more blackheads.
However, the man turned his chair around so that they were facing away from the rest of the students in the lab. He then spoke to the boy while molesting him.
The case came to light in October 2018, when one of the CCA members told his mother that he had witnessed the coach touching and kissing some of his CCA mates.
The woman lodged a police report in the same month.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said in its statement that it takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to its standards of conduct and discipline.
The man is expected to return to court for a pre-trial conference on Nov 29. District Judge Prem Raj also ordered the man to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the Institute of Mental Health.
For each count of molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined or caned.
For harassment, an offender can be fined up to $5,000.
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The man is expected to return to court for a pre-trial conference on Nov 29. District Judge Prem Raj also ordered the man to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the Institute of Mental Health.
For each count of molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined or caned.
For harassment, an offender can be fined up to $5,000.
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