Man molested niece, then niece's friend a year later

SINGAPORE - Just six months after his release from prison for molesting his niece, a jobless man reoffended, touching his niece's friend while she was sleeping in his living room.

The 49-year-old man lived in the HDB flat in North Bridge Road with his mother and three of his nieces, including the one he had earlier molested in 2013.

On Nov 14 last year, he repeatedly squeezed the buttocks of his niece's friend when the 14-year-old was sleeping over.

She woke up after he gave her a particularly hard squeeze, emboldened by her lack of reaction. He then went back to his bed and pretended to be sleeping.

On Tuesday, the man, who has a long list of previous convictions dating back to 1980, was sentenced to five years of corrective training plus two strokes of the cane for the molest last year.

The corrective training, a tough regime for repeat offenders without earlier release for good behaviour, is also punishment for stealing $500 from his mother on June 17 last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Clement Yong had earlier pointed out the molest victim had already turned 14, adding the prosecution would have preferred a more serious charge otherwise.

He added the man had touched the girl multiple times, and could have gotten away with his actions if his victim had not woken up.

The man pleaded guilty to two charges. For using criminal force to outrage the modesty of his niece's friend, he could have been jailed for up to two years, caned and fined.

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