Petrol pump attendant with intellectual disability jailed for molesting five-year-old girl

Mohamad Awang was jailed for 15 months on Thursday for molesting a five-year-old girl under his sister's care. PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

SINGAPORE - A petrol pump attendant with a low intellectual disability was jailed for 15 months on Thursday for molesting a five-year-old girl under his sister's care.

Mohamad Awang, 45, had admitted to rubbing the girl's private parts at a Sengkang flat on June 2 last year ,with a second similar charge taken into consideration.

A Community Court heard that Mohamad's sister, a housewife, also worked as a babysitter to earn extra money.

The victim's mother engaged the services of Mohamad's sister to babysit her two children in early 2012 during her working hours.

On June 2 last year, the babysitter left the care of the girl and her brother to her daughter when she left home with her mother to visit her youngest brother.

After lunch, Mohamad, his niece and the two children watched television in the living room. His niece fell asleep.

Shortly, he felt the urge to touch the victim. So he went into his room, sat on the bed and called the victim in.

He then asked her to sit beside him before rubbing her.

After about 10 minutes, Mohamad's niece woke up and realised that the victim was not in the living room. She called out for the girl, who immediately ran out of the room.

The niece found out what had happened.

After the incident, the victim's mother noticed a marked change in her behaviour. Usually well-behaved, the girl started to throw tantrums and showed a high level of anxiety. The victim also started to binge-eat.

The victim's mother reported the matter to the police.

The prosecution sought a sentence of at least 12 months with no caning, saying Mohamad had abused a form of trust and confidence, and that the intrusion was on the vulnerable victim's private parts.

Mohamad could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment for molesting a person under 14 years of age.

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