SINGAPORE: A boy who sought his foster father's permission to use the computer was violated by the man, who pretended he had to "check" the boy's body first.
Then between nine and 10 years old, the boy did not know the acts were wrong until he attended sexual education classes in school.
The foster father, 63, was jailed for a year and a month on Thursday (May 8) after he earlier pleaded guilty to committing an indecent act with a child.
Another three charges related to indecent acts on other occasions were taken into consideration for the accused's sentencing.
Both the accused and the victim cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the latter's identity. The victim is now 19 years old.
From between 2010 and 2011, the boy was placed in foster care at the age of four. Court documents did not state why.
Around that period, he moved in with the accused, his wife, and the accused's adopted daughter. The victim's biological elder sister also lived with them, and the siblings called the accused "dad".
In 2016, the boy asked the accused if he could use the computer. The accused replied that he would allow the boy to do so after conducting a "check" on him.
At the accused's instruction, the confused boy sat beside him on the bed in the master bedroom. The boy removed some clothing and lay on the bed as he was told.
The accused then touched the boy inappropriately before letting him use the computer.
"The victim did not reveal the incident to anyone as he did not know what the accused did was wrong," the prosecution said.
"The victim subsequently learnt about the wrongfulness of the accused’s conduct in 2019, when he attended sexual education classes in school."
During a school counselling session in May 2022, the victim revealed the incident to his school counsellor, who reported the matter to her reporting officer. The matter was escalated to the authorities.
The victim and his sister were removed from their foster home for their safety that same day, and the victim lodged a police report against his foster father the next day.
The prosecution sought between 11 and 13 months' jail for the accused, whom they said had been the main parental figure in the victim's life, with "unbridled access" to the victim.
"The accused has utterly failed to act in a manner befitting of a father figure, exploiting his foster son for his own sexual gratification. This runs counter to the very values society holds dear," said Deputy Public Prosecutors Colin Ng and Yeo Kee Hwan.
For committing an indecent act with a child, the man could have been jailed for up to five years, or fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,700), or both on a first offence.
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Then between nine and 10 years old, the boy did not know the acts were wrong until he attended sexual education classes in school.
The foster father, 63, was jailed for a year and a month on Thursday (May 8) after he earlier pleaded guilty to committing an indecent act with a child.
Another three charges related to indecent acts on other occasions were taken into consideration for the accused's sentencing.
Both the accused and the victim cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the latter's identity. The victim is now 19 years old.
From between 2010 and 2011, the boy was placed in foster care at the age of four. Court documents did not state why.
Around that period, he moved in with the accused, his wife, and the accused's adopted daughter. The victim's biological elder sister also lived with them, and the siblings called the accused "dad".
In 2016, the boy asked the accused if he could use the computer. The accused replied that he would allow the boy to do so after conducting a "check" on him.
At the accused's instruction, the confused boy sat beside him on the bed in the master bedroom. The boy removed some clothing and lay on the bed as he was told.
The accused then touched the boy inappropriately before letting him use the computer.
"The victim did not reveal the incident to anyone as he did not know what the accused did was wrong," the prosecution said.
"The victim subsequently learnt about the wrongfulness of the accused’s conduct in 2019, when he attended sexual education classes in school."
During a school counselling session in May 2022, the victim revealed the incident to his school counsellor, who reported the matter to her reporting officer. The matter was escalated to the authorities.
The victim and his sister were removed from their foster home for their safety that same day, and the victim lodged a police report against his foster father the next day.
The prosecution sought between 11 and 13 months' jail for the accused, whom they said had been the main parental figure in the victim's life, with "unbridled access" to the victim.
"The accused has utterly failed to act in a manner befitting of a father figure, exploiting his foster son for his own sexual gratification. This runs counter to the very values society holds dear," said Deputy Public Prosecutors Colin Ng and Yeo Kee Hwan.
For committing an indecent act with a child, the man could have been jailed for up to five years, or fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,700), or both on a first offence.
Continue reading...