A 74-year-old Singaporean man repeatedly molested his eight-year-old granddaughter during her weekly sleepovers.

The elderly man, unnamed due to a gag order, welcomed his granddaughter into his house regularly between January and September 2020.

There, he'd tug on her clothes and touch her inappropriately.

Inappropriate sleepovers

During that period, the man and his wife hosted the victim and her two brothers at their house on weekends.

The three children spent the nights with both paternal grandparents in the same bedroom, reported CNA.

The brothers would sleep on the floor with their grandmother.

The girl took the bed with her grandfather.

She later revealed that he touched her almost every time she stayed over.

He'd pull down her clothes or pull up her shirt to molest her.

Father decides against involving police

The young girl confided in her father, who then confronted his own father. The 74-year-old admitted to the molestations.

That put an end to the regular sleepovers.

However, the girl and her father decided not to make a police report at that point.

They wanted to "forget about the matter and move on with their lives", CNA reported.

School counsellor takes action

The matter was finally brought to light about a year after, when the girl confided in her form teacher in April 2021.

She made the decision to do so after attending a school-based guidance programme about cyberbullying.

A school counsellor later spoke to her and lodged a police report.

Man initially challenged some facts

CNA said that during a hearing on Mar. 15, 2024, the man initially refused to admit to molesting the girl's chest.

But he eventually accepted it.

He pleaded guilty to molesting a minor, and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' jail.

He escaped caning as he was above the age limit.

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