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At several instances within two years, a 64-year-old man targeted his neighbour's two children to perform sexual acts on him.

In return, he would ply them with money and cigarettes.

The man, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victims' identities, pleaded guilty on July 26 to four charges of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 14.

Played porn on laptop and asked boy for oral sex

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the man worked as a dishwasher and lived alone in a HDB flat.

In 2016, he was introduced to the two victims, then aged 13, by their father. The man occasionally visited the victims' parent's flat to drink, and ask them for cigarettes.

The first victim, a boy, subsequently ran into the man at the coffeeshop near their flat and recognised him. He asked the man for cigarettes, and the man gave him some.

After this occurred again several times, the man invited the boy to his flat to chat. The boy took these opportunities to ask the man for more cigarettes.

During his third visit to the man's flat sometime before June 2016, the man played pornography on his laptop for the boy to watch and the pair smoked while watching it.

The man then asked the boy to perform oral sex on him, and the boy complied.

In return, the man gave him S$20 and a few cigarettes. He also asked the boy not to tell anyone about the incident.

Knowing that the man would offer him money and cigarettes in return for oral sex, the boy went back to the man's flat in mid-2016 and repeated the act.

Asked boy's sister for oral sex twice

In May 2017, the man's attention moved on to the boy's younger sister, who was then 13.

The girl recalled him giving her brother cigarettes, and approached him to ask for one. The man told her he did not have any at the time, but asked her to visit him at his flat later.

An hour later, the girl went to the man's unit to collect cigarettes, while her classmate waited at the staircase area nearby.

Noticing this, the man asked her not bring any friends along in the future if she wanted to get cigarettes from him.

A few days later, the girl returned to the man's flat, where he gave her a cigarette and they smoked together.

The man insisted on her removing her shirt, and despite her shock and initial reluctance, she complied.

The man then squeezed her breasts and asked her to perform oral sex on him.

After the act, he gave the girl S$40 and similar to the incident involving her brother, told her to keep quiet about it.

The girl performed oral sex on the man several days later for a second time, and received cigarettes and S$50.

Discovered when girl filed police report alleging rape

The incidents only came to light in November 2019 when the girl lodged a police report alleging that she had been raped by her father.

Police uncovered what had happened in 2016 and 2017 in the midst of ensuing investigations.

In court, the judge called for a report assessing the man's suitability for preventive detention, reported The Straits Times.

This is a regime for recalcitrant offenders that does not offer the usual one-third remission for good behaviour.

The two deputy public prosecutors (DDPs) also said that a detailed psychiatric assessment would aid the court in establishing whether the man would reoffend.

According to ST, the DPPs noted that the man has a long criminal history of drug-related offences and robbery since he was 15 years old.

They also argued that he had an inclination to reoffend.

The man pleaded guilty to four charges of sexually penetrating a minor under 14.

A total of 11 other charges are being taken into consideration, including those of exhibiting pornography to a person under 21 and committing an indecent act with a child.

Those guilty of sexually penetrating a person under 14 can be jailed for up to 20 years, and fined or caned.

The man cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.

Top photo by Ashley Tan