Private tutor molested male pupil on two occasions between 2014 and 2016

SINGAPORE – A private tutor molested one of his male pupils during lessons at the boy’s home on two separate occasions between 2014 and 2016.

The victim, who was between 10 and 12 years old then, told the court during a three-day trial in May 2023 that he did not confront Sou Kum Choi over the acts of molestation as he did not really know what was going on.

The victim, now 19, finally made a police report in March 2021 after talking to a friend and found out that Sou had allegedly targeted other pupils.

On Tuesday, District Judge Wong Peck convicted Sou, 57, of two molestation charges after the trial.

In their submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutors Jane Lim and Adelle Tai said: “(The victim) therefore felt obligated to speak up about his experiences, traumatic as they may be, to ensure that others are not similarly victimised by the accused.”

Sou also has four other molestation charges involving at least one more boy and these will be dealt with at a later date.

A search with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority reveals that Sou used to own Richardsons Tuition Agency.

He was the private tutor of the victim when the latter was in Primary 4 to Primary 6. He would tutor the boy up to three times a week and the classes were held in the boy’s room.

The pair would sit adjacent to each other at a study table with the room door closed.

The prosecutors told the judge: “Bent solely on satisfying his selfish lust, the accused made sexual advances against the victim.”

Sou stroked the boy’s thigh on one occasion. In a separate incident, Sou placed the boy’s hand on Sou’s genitals.

During the trial, the victim was asked why he did not shout for help to alert anyone about what was happening.

The teenager replied that he was confused and was “not sure of what was going on”.

The DPPs said that this is understandable given that he was only between 10 and 12 years old at the time.

Sou, who is represented by lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya, denied stroking the victim’s thigh.

Instead, the offender claimed that he only tapped his pupil’s leg because the boy was distracted by his Pokemon cards or mobile phone.

Sou also denied the other charge, without elaborating further.

In their submissions, the prosecutors said that there is an absolute lack of motive for the victim to make a false complaint against the offender.

They added: “The victim had put himself under considerable inconvenience and distress by reporting this matter to the police and testifying at trial, where he was subjected to rigorous cross-examination... The accused agreed that the victim had no reason to make up false allegations against the accused.”

Sou’s case has been adjourned to September.

For each count of molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years, or fined or caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.

Sou cannot be caned as he is more than 50 years old.