A man with a history of molesting women on public transportation has been handed a year-long jail sentence for outraging the modesty of a 14-year-old girl on a bus.
Ho Ah Chye, aged 57, committed the offense in April, just one month after he had previously molested the same girl on the same bus. Ho pleaded guilty to one count of outraging the girl’s modesty, while another charge was taken into consideration during the sentencing process, according to reports.
This was not the first time Ho had engaged in such criminal acts. He had previously committed similar offenses in 2019 and 2021, leading to a total jail time of five months for both incidents. Following his release from prison in February the previous year, he was referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychotherapy sessions, presumably to address his behavioral issues.
On the day of the incident, Ho boarded an SBS Transit double-decker bus, heading to work as a coffee shop assistant. Spotting the 14-year-old seated on the upper deck, he decided to sit next to her despite other available seats. The victim had already recognized Ho from the previous molestation incident but felt scared and unsure of how to respond.
As the bus was en route along the Tampines Expressway, Ho made inappropriate advances by placing his hand on the teenager’s thigh and lower hip over her skirt. Despite her attempts to push his hand away, Ho grew more audacious and proceeded to touch her inner thigh underneath her skirt. The victim was trapped, unable to escape as Ho blocked her way to the aisle.
As per the reports, a concerned passenger, Mr. Koh Ming Bin, 23, who was seated on the other side of Ho, noticed the uncomfortable situation. He witnessed Ho’s inappropriate actions and intervened by asking him what he was doing. Caught in the act, Ho hastily withdrew his hand and attempted to leave his seat. However, Mr. Koh prevented him from escaping and immediately alerted the bus driver.
The bus driver acted swiftly, stopping at a nearby bus stop along Pasir Ris Drive 1, and asked all passengers to disembark, except for Ho, Mr. Koh, and the teenage victim. He locked the doors and waited for the police to arrive.
Following his arrest, Ho was subjected to a medical examination at IMH, which indicated that he had a mild intellectual disability. Nevertheless, the report revealed that he was fully aware that his actions were morally and legally wrong. Additionally, the report suggested that Ho was likely to reoffend in an opportunistic manner, targeting victims he believed would be less likely to report the incident.
During sentencing, Principal District Judge Jill Tan acknowledged that Ho’s offenses were not the most severe forms of sexual exploitation but emphasized that they were far from minimal. Ho had repeatedly touched the victim, disregarding her objections. The judge deemed a 12-month jail term appropriate to protect public transport users and young females and to serve as a specific deterrence to Ho.
The offense of molesting the teenager could have resulted in a sentence of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or a combination of these punishments.
Image used for illustration purpose only
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