Man jailed 4-1/2 years for sexual abuse of boy, 14, and other offences

SINGAPORE - A delivery man who sexually abused a 14-year-old boy and molested another 15-year-old boy was jailed for four and a half years and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane on Friday for these and other offences.

Yeo Zhen Yi, 25, pleaded guilty to six charges with 10 others taken into consideration.

The court heard that he first met the two teens at Pulau Ubin in April 2013 and claimed his parents were gangsters and that he was in a gang.

He said if either were to offend him, whoever they called to help would "be of no use''.

Over the next few weeks, he invited them to stay over at chalets in Pulau Ubin on at least five occasions. By then, he knew the victims were below 16.

Between May and June that year, he invited them to stay at chalets in Pasir Ris East.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana said during the first stayover, Yeo admitted touching the younger boy inappropriately while he was sleeping. The boy wanted to go home immediately but Yeo persisted with such acts during each of the stayovers.

Yeo also admitted that there were at least three occasions he had showered with the first victim at the chalet in May. He made the boy perform oral sex on him while they were in the shower.

Ms Boppana said the victim complied as he was afraid of Yeo, who was supporting him financially.

In June that year, Yeo moved into the home of the second victim, the 15-year-old, with the consent of the youngster's mother. Yeo made sure the boy attend school regularly and gave him $5 to $10 a day.

On one occasion, Yeo molested the victim when they were both lying down in the boy's home. He stopped when the boy moved his body away from him.

The matter came to light when the second victim reported the incidents to his school's vice principal. Yeo was arrested on July 23 that year.

He also admitted to two counts of misappropriating $5,436 while working for two companies in Kaki Bukit Road 2 between Oct 29 and Nov 19, 2012. He had also committed rioting while on bail for the first 14 charges.

Yeo has previous convictions for theft and mischief.

elena@sph.com.sg

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