Man sentenced to 10 years of jail and nine strokes of cane for sexually assaulting traumatized teen under his care

SINGAPORE: A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and nine strokes of the cane on Tuesday (Nov 28) for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl under his care.

The man, whose identity is protected to safeguard the victim, exploited the vulnerability of the teenager, now 19, who had previously suffered the trauma of her mother’s suicide and sexual abuse by her father.

In the guise of “healing” touch, the man sexually groomed the teenager before sexually assaulting her on a regular basis.

Teen’s traumatic journey

The court heard that in 2017, when the girl was 13 years old, she witnessed her mother stabbing herself to death right in front of her.

In Jan 2018, she was sexually abused by her father, several months after her mother died.

In the same year, she was removed from her father’s care and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

She initially stopped engaging in self-harm after she was placed in the care of a family friend.

However, she went back to self-harming in June 18 after a close friend died by suicide.

In Sept 2018, she was placed in treatment centre designed to help teen girls who suffered trauma or abuse reintegrate back into society by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

It was during this time that the offender, a 39-year-old manager at a company organizing children’s camps, entered the picture.

The accused, a married man with two sons, met the victim during a program he conducted at the treatment center in Sept 2018.

Expressing a desire to adopt her, he, along with his wife, underwent assessments to become caregivers.

The family began regular meetings with the victim, who was initially thrilled at the prospect of being adopted into what she hoped would be a “real family.”

She shared her optimistic outlook on the future and expressed joy in having discovered a loving family with her psychologist.

Additionally, the offender and his wife received information about the girl’s mental state and previous trauma during a briefing with her psychologist.

Starting in Dec 2019, the girl started spending time at the offender’s residence as part of a granted “home leave.”

Man faces legal consequences for exploitative sexual assault on vulnerable teenager

However, in Sep 2020, the man began sexually grooming and assaulting the girl.

Under the guise of “healing touch,” he subjected her to regular sexual exploitation, showing her explicit material and coercing her into performing sexual acts.

The abuse continued almost daily, causing the victim to experience panic attacks during the assaults.

The man’s heinous actions took place throughout the ongoing adoption proceedings.

The girl, in a message to the offender on Nov 27, 2020, expressed feeling “empty and used,” stating that she couldn’t forget the ways he mistreated her.

She detailed the impact on her mental health, revealing self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of shame and guilt.

She felt she was being used by the man, and that he was not being fair to his wife, the court heard.

Moreover, at the time the man was assaulting her, he was still having intercourse with his wife, who got pregnant.

Upon learning that the man’s wife had an ectopic pregnancy, the girl experienced a panic attack, expressing concern for the woman. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants itself outside the womb.

The offender’s wife subsequently had a miscarriage, and the victim blamed herself for it, feeling guilty over the sexual acts she had engaged in with the offender.

Eventually, she confided in her school teacher about the situation, leading the teacher to file a police report.

Deputy Public Prosecutors sought a sentence of 12 to 15 years’ jail and caning, describing the offender’s conduct as “depraved and exploitative.”

The prosecution highlighted the lasting mental scars inflicted on the victim, who, after a traumatic childhood, was supposed to find sanctuary in the accused’s home.

The man pleaded guilty to four counts of exploitative sexual penetration of a minor, with nine additional charges taken into consideration.

This marks the first prosecution under Section 376AA of the Penal Code for exploitative sexual penetration of a minor aged 16 or 17.

In 2018, a man who legally adopted his biological son faced a setback in his attempt to designate his same-sex partner as the guardian for both his son and a daughter born through surrogacy in the United States.

Despite the man’s partner being deemed otherwise suitable for the role, the High Court dismissed the man’s request for shared custody, care, and control of the children.

The court underscored that the well-being of the child alone does not constitute sufficient grounds for such an appointment.

The situation could be ironic, especially if both the MSF and the adoption agency had approved the adoption of a teenage girl to a man who had sexually abused her to be his adoptive daughter instead.

The judge determined that there was neither jurisdiction nor a compelling need to appoint a guardian in the former case, as the children were thriving under the care of the man and his partner without any formal guardianship orders.

Additionally, the court rejected the plea for joint custody, citing a lack of necessity for such orders.