MOE Suspends Primary School Teacher Who’s Accused of Having Sex with Underage Girls

Some say that age is just a number.

But in this case, age is certainly not just a number.

MOE Suspends Primary School Teacher Who’s Accused of Having Sex with Underage Girls

A primary school teacher has been suspended after he was caught having sexual relations with at least two underage girls.

The illicit acts reportedly took place at staircase landings. The girls were reportedly 14 and 15 years old at the time.

Reports state that Kenneth Seah Wei Yuan committed his first known offence on 2 February 2023, at around 3 pm, in Choa Chu Kang. Seah reportedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl at the staircase landing of an unspecified block of flats.

An act of a similar nature was committed against a 15-year-old girl the very next month. It took place at the same staircase landing.

It’s unclear whether the 15-year-old girls in both scenarios are the same.

On 26 June 2023, Seah reportedly had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl at a staircase landing in Bishan. He also filmed two separate videos of their encounter.

Apparently, the 34-year-old also conversed with a 13-year-old girl. He met her on 17 May 2023.

The exact details of their encounter are unclear.

Earlier this month, Seah was suspended by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and is no longer teaching at any educational institution.

Staff misconduct is taken seriously, the MOE said in a statement. Disciplinary action will be taken against those who violate their standards.

Consequences

Seah is facing five charges for various offences, including the sexual grooming of a minor and the creation of child abuse material.

He’s currently being remanded at the Changi Prison Complex medical centre, where he is set to undergo a medical examination. His case has since been postponed to 2 August 2023.

If found guilty, Seah may face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine for each count of having sexual relations with a minor.

For sexually grooming a minor, he could face a jail term of up to four years, a fine or both.

For creating child abuse material, he may face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine or caning.

Other Instances

Unfortunately, Seah’s case isn’t the only one in recent history.

In early 2022, a then 27-year-old man was sentenced to 16 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to two charges under the Children and Young Persons Act.

The former National Institute of Education (NIE) trainee teacher had met a then 15-year-old female student on one of his attachments in 2019, and they gradually developed a mutual liking for one another.

On multiple occasions, the victim would sneak out of her house to spend time with the trainee teacher.

There were at least ten instances where the duo participated in sexual intimacy.

The trainee teacher reportedly had a girlfriend at the time as well.