Sports coach admits grooming boy for sex

An accounts executive forged a cheque for $8,900 and made it payable to his wife, who then shared the money with him. PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

A freelance badminton coach yesterday admitted to sexually grooming a student he had been training.

Last Oct 24, the 32-year-old was caught literally with his pants down, when police spotted him with the naked boy in his car at a secluded carpark near Singapore Island Country Club. Neither the accused nor the victim can be named to protect the minor's identity.

Yesterday, the accused admitted to 10 of 23 charges.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Randeep Singh Koonar said the man came to know the student in 2012, when he was an assistant coach of the boy's school badminton team. In 2013, the accused molested the then 14-year-old in a men's toilet. In June that year, the victim and his team mates went on holiday in Phuket. The accused, who accompanied the team, engaged in sexual acts with the youngster. This also happened when the team travelled to a tournament in Batam a few months later in December.

The accused left the school at the end of 2013. In the middle of last year, the boy quit the school's badminton team for private lessons with the accused.

But a few months later, the boy began avoiding the accused as he wanted the sexual activities to stop. This resulted in an argument between the two.

On Sept 19, they met at the Hougang Sports Hall, where they again had sex. This was "to test the victim's commitment to him", said DPP Singh.

The case has been adjourned to Nov 17.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 28, 2015, with the headline Sports coach admits grooming boy for sex. Subscribe