Updated March 13, 2015
SINGAPORE - A man who pressed and rubbed his groin area against a woman's shoulder on a bus was jailed for six months on Wednesday.
Ch'ng Cheng Ho, 45, pleaded guilty last month to using criminal force on a 29-year-old woman on board bus service 77 on June 2, 2012.
The court heard that the victim and her husband had boarded the bus in Orchard Road at about 9.45pm that day. The bus, heading towards Bukit Batok Central, was crowded but the victim managed to find a seat.
Ch'ng boarded the same bus in Orchard Boulevard.
He stood at the front aisle of the bus and admired the female passengers. He then moved towards the back of the bus and stood beside the victim and started to press and rub his groin area against her left shoulder. He did it for about five minutes, thinking that the victim did not realise what he was doing.
The victim tried to move away but Ch'ng kept moving closer.
Her husband detained him and called the police.
Ch'ng has a previous conviction in 2006.
Lawyer R. Dilip Kumar said in mitigation that his client, a former primary school teacher, was suffering from depression and struggling with frotteurism - a term for intentional rubbing up against or touching of another, usually unsuspecting, person for sexual arousal.
Ch'ng, who gives private tuition to support himself, admitted himself to the Institute of Mental Health and is going for regular treatment, said counsel. He said Ch'ng was extremely remorseful for the offence.
He could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment.
Correction: An earlier version of the story published on March 11, 2015, reported that the incident took place on board SBS Transit service No. 77. The bus is operated by SMRT, not SBS Transit.
