Repeat offender jailed for exposing himself to 10-year-old girl

[skyleon]

By Vanessa Paige Chelvan

24 Oct 2017 12:23PM
(Updated: 24 Oct 2017 04:08PM)


SINGAPORE: A 44-year-old man was jailed for three months on Tuesday (Oct 24) for insulting the modesty of a 10-year-old girl at a public toilet.

IT manager Tang Chee Leong was with one of his two daughters at an Italian restaurant at Toa Payoh Central, when he indecently exposed himself to the victim on Dec 2, 2016.

The victim was using the toilet when she heard someone knocking on the door and asking for toilet paper. She passed some toilet paper to the stranger outside through a gap under the door, but the man asked her to open the door to pass him more toilet paper.

The girl opened the door to find Tan with his pants dropped and private parts exposed. He was also “shaking his whole body,” the court heard. Tan walked away after the girl, shocked, passed him more toilet paper.

The girl walked back to restaurant to tell her mother what had happened. Her eight-year-old brother went into the male toilet and confirmed that there was toilet paper in there and the girl’s mother called the police.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chee Ee Ling sought a jail term of at least three months, noting Tan's "tendency to expose himself". She pointed out that this is the fifth time since 2001 that he has committed such an offence.

DPP Chee added Tan’s action has “severely affected” the girl, who is now afraid to use public toilets alone and refuses to go back to the restaurant in question. Ten months on, she still feels scared when she thinks about what happened, she said.

Tan’s lawyer S S Dhillon said a two-month jail term would suffice. “All he did was pull his pants down … he didn’t try to molest her,” the lawyer said.

Mr Dhillon added that his client would seek treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. A psychiatric report stated that even though Tan has been diagnosed with the disorder, it did not play a role in his behavior that day.

The report also noted Tan may suffer from exhibitionistic disorder.

District Judge Kenneth Yap said there is something “clearly” wrong about Tang’s “abnormal, perverted” behavior, which has persisted since his first offence in 2001.

Tang had been in jail before for molesting a teenage girl and indecently exposing himself to more victims. “It doesn’t seem to have had an impact on you,” Judge Yap told Tang.

“Can you imagine the impact on (your) own young daughter?” Judge Yap asked, pointing out that Tang had exposed himself to the victim “almost in the presence of (his) own daughter”.

The judge added that Tang’s offence comes at a “tremendous cost” to his wife and two daughters, who are “real victims” as well. “Think about this while you spend time in prison.”

For insulting the modesty of a woman, Tang could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...d-girl-9338844