SINGAPORE - A 53-year-old cleaner who molested an intellectually disabled teen was on Friday (May 27) jailed for 16 months.

Buang Aziz pleaded guilty to a charge of molestation and a separate charge of theft.

A district court heard that on the afternoon of July 31 last year, the 18-year-old victim was on her way to visit her grandmother when she stopped by a vending machine near Bedok Central to buy a drink. She was in her school uniform.

The teen, who cannot be named to protect her identity, is a student of the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) Towner Garden School in Lengkong Lima.

Buang, who was on his way to a United Overseas Bank branch at Bedok Central to cash in his $300 worth of GST vouchers, spotted her and chatted with her.

They then walked alongside each other to a nearby Housing Board block.

At the block's lift lobby, Buang touched the student's chest, but she moved away.

He then asked her if she wanted to join him for a meal, but she said she had to go home.

While inside the lift, he squeezed her breast and touched her private parts.

The victim put up a struggle and cried.

When the lift doors opened, she ran out.

About five minutes later, the teen's uncle returned home to find her crying on the sofa. She told him about what happened and he called the police.

On June 7 last year, Buang, together with an accomplice, also stole a person's belongings at a function room in the HomeTeamNS Balestier Road clubhouse.

The duo, who were working as cleaners there, had seen the unattended items and agreed to steal them.

The items included a wallet, a pouch containing cash, ATM cards, and a car key.

Police officers who conducted a search at the clubhouse found most of the items, except $100 in cash and the car key, inside a black trash bag.

The maximum punishment for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a person is two years' jail, a fine, caning, or any combined punishment.

For theft, the maximum punishment is three years' jail and a fine.

Correction note: An earlier version of the story stated that Buang was jailed for one year. This is incorrect. He was jailed for 16 months. We are sorry for the error.