Ex-S’pore Idol judge Ken Lim found guilty of molesting 25-year-old woman

SINGAPORE – Music producer and former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim, 61, has been convicted of a molestation charge involving a 25-year-old woman.

The incident happened at the Hype Records office in Henderson Road on Nov 23, 2021. Lim was the executive director of the record company at the time.

In delivering her decision on Sept 26, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng said she found the victim’s testimony to be unusually convincing, which left no reasonable doubt of Lim’s guilt.

The judge noted Lim had “jokingly” sent the woman a message stating that he could tie her up. She also found him to be an untruthful witness, who was willing to make claims to serve his own interests.

Judge Lee said: “It is evident that the accused had belatedly fabricated the allegations to distance himself from the contents of (his police statement), which contradicted his court testimony but aligned with (the woman’s) testimony on various points.”

The judge added that these included touching the woman’s lower back as he saw her off after a second interview, “the tie you up, babe” message, addressing the woman as “babe” and dimming the lights during a third interview.

In 2024, Lim had to fight off allegations involving a different woman who had accused him of making sexual comments while they were at the Hype Records’ premises on July 25, 2012. After a trial, District Judge Wong Peck found Lim

not guilty of insulting a woman’s modesty.

She said the woman, who was then 25 years old, had embellished her evidence and was not a credible witness. For this earlier case, Lim was acquitted in December 2024.

Details about both women cannot be disclosed due to a gag order.

The molestation allegation involved a work-related interview at Lim’s office, the court heard. The woman said she had met Lim three times, adding that he made suggestive comments at the second and third meeting.

She said Lim had asked her if she would perform a sex act on a director and have sex with someone “to bring about change”.

The woman said she was molested during their third meeting. She said it happened after Lim asked her to kiss him. She did so but felt disgusted after doing it.

She told the court Lim asked her to kiss him again but to do it with more passion. The woman said that as they kissed, he touched her chest.

The woman later shared details of the incident with her boyfriend at the time and a female friend, who both testified in court.

The female friend said the woman had shared details of the encounter, and described the interview with Lim as “quite traumatic”.

The friend said she was told that Lim had forced the victim to kiss and perform a sex act on him.

The friend told Judge Lee: “He also said that he wanted to tie her up... She just seemed very traumatised by what had happened and very disgusted that she was forced to do things that she didn’t want to do.”

Lim, who was represented by a team led by Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng, denied molesting the woman.

He told Judge Lee he would not have artistes signing contracts of up to 20 years with his agency if he had acted improperly towards the woman.

He said: “I’ve been doing this business for four decades. If I was so ridiculous, I won’t be where I am today. I won’t have the success I’m having.”

Lim also denied kissing the woman.

“Being able to kiss on-screen is so irrelevant. It’s just a convenient excuse she’s providing to support her allegation.”

“She might be thinking we’re producing movies like Basic Instinct, Game Of Thrones, or Sex And The City. But... in Singapore, we are talking about shows like Under One Roof, Phua Chu Kang, Ah Boys To Men,” he said.

Lim’s case has been adjourned to Oct 6 over his application to travel overseas for work-related matters. His mitigation and sentencing are expected to take place on Nov 18.

For molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments. However, Lim cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old.

He is facing several other charges

related to allegations of improper behaviour involving three other women. These will be dealt with at a later date.