8 months' jail for man who molested schoolboy twice after trying to befriend him

SINGAPORE - A 15-year-old male student desperate to get away from a man who had asked for his mobile phone number was molested twice by the same man who insisted on befriending the teenager.

The boy was so afraid, he did not dare to retaliate or ward off the advances of Azmi Mohd Yunos, 48.

The jobless man on Tuesday (Feb 4) was sentenced to eight months' jail after pleading guilty to two molestation charges. The teen cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect his identity.

The court heard that he was on his way home and at the ground floor lift lobby of a Bedok Housing Board block when Azmi spotted him at around 6.15pm on Oct 7 last year.

Azmi, who was pushing a bicycle, then entered the same lift with the teen and tried to befriend him.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Lim said: "The accused then asked the victim if they could be friends and exchange phone numbers. The victim decided to provide the accused with a fake handphone number, as he did not want to be friends with him.

"The victim provided a number verbally. The accused then tried to call the number provided, and told the victim that there was something wrong with the number."

Both of them stepped out when the doors opened and Azmi molested the boy. He also told the teenager "not to be scared", the court heard.

Shocked, the boy stepped back and told Azmi that he needed to go home urgently.

He then pressed a button to call for a lift.

When the doors opened, Azmi followed the teenager inside and molested him again.

The DPP told District Judge Eddy Tham: "The victim did not push his hand away or retaliate, as he was afraid for his safety within the confines of the lift.

"The victim kept quiet and when the lift door opened, he left the lift and walked in the opposite direction of his house, as he did not want the accused to know where he lived."

Azmi took another lift to the ground floor and cycled away.

In the meantime, the boy alerted the police and officers arrived soon after to arrest Azmi.

For each count of molestation, he could have been jailed for up to two years and fined or caned.

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