SINGAPORE - A freelance music teacher who performed oral sex on a 13-year-old student was jailed for two years and four weeks on Monday (July 24).
Chan Hock, 53, pleaded guilty to the offence with the underage boy, which took place in a public toilet in Tiong Bahru Park on Aug 27, 2016.
He also pleaded guilty to having a hard disk containing 2,835 obscene films in his home on Sept 9, 2016.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijayaratnam said the boy was using the public toilet in Redhill MRT station at about 9pm on Aug 27, 2016, when Chan, who was leaning against the wall facing the urinals, moved to a urinal next to him and began staring at him.
Chan later followed the victim out of the toilet and struck up a conversation with him. The boy told Chan his name and age but gave him a fake address.
Chan suggested that they take a walk together. During the 20-minute walk to Tiong Bahru Park, Chan put his arm around the victim's shoulder and touched him.
Chan then led the victim to a public toilet and nudged him into a cubicle for the handicapped.
He molested the victim, who did not stop him. Chan then performed oral sex on the victim.
When Chan stood up and removed his belt, the victim stopped him, the deputy public prosecutor said. The boy did not want to reciprocate, and when Chan asked if he was sure, the boy said yes.
They then walked back to the MRT station and parted ways. The victim then sent a message to his family's WhatsApp chat group and told them what happened. A police report was later made.
Chan's identity was established through closed-circuit television footage. He was arrested on Sept 9, and his DNA was found on the victim's clothes.
A portable hard disk containing 2,835 obscene films was found in his Strathmore Avenue flat. Two other charges of committing an indecent act on the boy and having 11 films without valid certificates were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Chan, who was defended by lawyer Mr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, could have been jailed for up to 20 years, fined or caned for sexually abusing a person under 14. He cannot be caned as he is over 50. The judge agreed to the prosecution's request for Chan to be given four weeks' jail in lieu of caning.
