SINGAPORE - A full-time national serviceman who molested two young girls was jailed for 18 months and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane on Thursday.
Lee Yi Ting, 22, pleaded guilty to touching an 11-year-old outside a condominium in the Upper East Coast area on Oct 22 last year.
Earlier on Oct 8, he had pulled down a nine-year-old's pants and underwear and molested her at a staircase landing of the condominium.
A district court heard that the 11-year-old was on her way to her friend's house nearby when Lee extended his hand and touched her chest while walking past her.
Shocked, she hit his hand and ran towards her friend's house. She made a police report the next day.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Lydia Goh said that on Oct 8 last year, the nine-year-old walked out of the lift of the condominium to go to a friend's house when Lee asked for her age and whether she could help him.
The victim agreed.
Lee gestured to her to follow him to the staircase landing where he then knelt down and molested her after pulling down her pants and underwear to her thigh level.
He stood up. The victim quickly pulled up her pants and underwear and left.
When she was about to knock on her friend's door, Lee hugged her and said "thank you''. Before leaving, he touched her again.
The victim told her father what had happened and the latter called the police.
Lee's lawyer Goh Siok Leng said her client was diagnosed as a paedophile by the Institute of Mental Health. Had he known of his psychiatric disorder earlier, he would certainly have sought medical help, she said.
She also said Lee was determined to change and would get the necessary treatment upon his release.
A third charge of insulting modesty was taken into consideration during his sentencing.
Lee could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment on each charge of molesting a person under 14 years old.
