An ex-lecturer who decided he wanted to "tease and arouse" a "small-sized" 12-year-old boy he came across at a Pasir Ris Street 21 bus stop followed the boy into a lift.
In the lift, Kenneth Loh Jiahui, who at the time was a lecturer at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, showed the boy a pornographic video — going as far as wrapping the boy under his arm to make him watch the video when he turned his head away.
Loh was arrested and eventually sentenced to five months and two weeks in prison.
He was also dismissed from the school.
The crime
According to CNA, on Jun. 8, 2023, Loh was in Pasir Ris making a delivery when he first spotted the victim at a bus stop.
The court was told he viewed the 12-year-old, who cannot be named because of a gag order, as an "easy target" whom he could "tease and arouse".
Noting that he was "small-sized", Loh followed the boy into a nearby block and proceeded to enter a lift with him.
He pressed the button for the 12th floor whilst the boy travelled to the eighth floor.
During the ride, Loh showed the victim pornographic material on his phone whilst smiling before asking him if he had seen material like this before.
In response, the boy shook his head and tried to turn away.
Loh then put his arm around the boy and continued showing him the video.
The 12-year-old tried moving to the back of the lift to escape, using his phone to look busy, but Loh followed.
When the lift arrived on the eighth floor, the boy started to leave. But Loh tried to show him the video again, moving his phone closer to the child's face.
The boy then exited and reported the incident to his mother, who contacted the police.
Loh was subsequently identified as the perpetrator from CCTV footage within the building and arrested.
Sentencing
Loh pleaded guilty to intentionally causing an underage victim to observe a sexual image to cause alarm.
The prosecution asked for five to six months' jail for Loh, while his defence counsel asked for a lighter sentence due to Loh's "adjustment disorder with depressed mood".
However, the judge noted that a psychiatrist's report submitted to the court said Loh had a "normal psychological reaction to the vicissitudes of life" which did not affect his awareness of his actions.
The judge said that Loh had "demonstrated a certain commitment to wrongdoing" with a "certain absence of remorse", according to CNA.
"He suspected the victim would be in a confined space and probably alone. The victim had very little means of avoiding him.
All of this facilitated [Loh’s] efforts to cause the victim to watch the video."
For intentionally showing sexually explicit content to a minor below 16 years old to cause alarm, he could have been jailed for up to three years in prison, fined, or both.
Top image via Mothership