Man Who Molested 15YO Stepdaughter While Massaging Her Jailed for 14 Mths

When you say that someone has “fulfil[led] his role as a father”, it usually includes things like ensuring financial stability for the family, or giving your child emotional support. 

You know, the very basic expectations of keeping your child safe and happy. 

What this phrase does not include, however, is molesting your own stepchild not just once, but twice. 

Man Molested His Stepdaughter During A Massage

As reported by The Straits Times, both the 17-year-old victim and the accused cannot be named due to a gag order. 

In 2019, the victim, then 15-years-old, had asked her stepfather for a massage when they were both alone at home in the afternoon. 

The victim was feeling some pain in her lower back as she had not slept well the previous night.

Trusting her stepfather, the victim did as she was told when he told her to remove her clothes for the massage. After 20 minutes of massaging her back with baby lotion, he then proceeded to slide his hands to her private parts and molested her. 

The accused stopped and told her to bathe after the victim, feeling uncomfortable, told him she felt ticklish. 

Victim Originally Kept Silent

After the incident, the accused had told the victim to remain silent and not tell anyone about what had taken place. 

The victim indeed did not divulge the incident to anyone—that is, until her stepfather molested her again in a second incident. 

This time, the victim went to her mother and told her about what had happened. However, with the victim being 55-years-old at that time, they were concerned for his age and health and ultimately decided not to file a report.

A report was only made later on, when a child protection officer found out about the incident when talking to the victim. 

Sentenced to 14 Months in Jail 

One count of molestation can warrant up to two years in jail, or a fine, or both. Having faced two charges of molestation, the accused could have faced up to 4 years in jail. 

During the trial on 3 May, Deputy Public Prosecutor Angela Ang asked for 15 months of jail for the accused. This was on the account that the victim was vulnerable, being only 15-years-old when she was molested, and that the accused had abused the victim’s trust in him as a stepfather. 

On the other hand, defence lawyer Zamiq Azmeer Borhanudin urged for nothing more than 8 months of jail for the accused. On the basis that the accused had continued to provide financial support even after moving out of the matrimonial home, he claimed that the accused had continued to “fulfil his role as a father”.

Ultimately, District Judge Teoh Ai Lin sentenced him to 14 months jail, saying that there were several aggravating factors concerning the incidents. This included a prolonged period of skin-to-skin contact during the offence. 

Having been allowed to defer his sentence to a time after Hari Raya, the accused will start serving his sentence on 18 May. 

He has been offered bail for S$15,000. Now at 57, he cannot be caned as he is above 50-years-old.  

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