Ex-preschool cook gets over 9 years' jail for sexually abusing 3 toddlers during their naptime

A 61-year-old former cook at a Singapore preschool was sentenced to over nine years' jail for sexually abusing three girls, all aged two years old or younger, during their naptime.

Teo Guan Huat, 61, a Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, would put his hand under the toddlers' diapers or pants to molest them.

He did so when teachers were not looking at him.

The abuse was committed about two to three times a week from May to Nov. 16, 2023.

On Nov. 10, Teo was sentenced to nine years, four months and seven week's jail.

This includes nine months imprisonment in lieu of 18 strokes of the cane, as Teo is above 50 so he cannot be caned by law.

Molested toddlers during naptime

According to court documents, Teo worked at the preschool for a year before resigning on Nov. 23, 2023 after being confronted by the school management committee.

The preschool cannot be named to protect the victims' identity.

While Teo's primary duty was as a cook, he assisted teachers during naptime, helping to lay out mattresses and pat children to sleep.

He also escorted the children to another teacher for their showers.

Teo admitted to sexually abusing the girls, whom he knew by name, by putting his hand into their diapers or under their pants and molesting them.

Teo said he only committed the offending acts when the other teachers were not looking at him.

Teo also admitted that he committed the acts against the child victims instead of adults as the children could not speak up and it would be harder to get caught.

The victims were also closer to him and would hug him when they saw him.

Caught on CCTV & resigned

On Nov. 16, 2023, an unnamed employee who reviewed CCTV footage of the classroom saw Teo molesting a two-year-old girl.

Teo was confronted by the school management committee on Nov. 23 and asked to leave the preschool.

He tendered his resignation and left that very day.

However, it was only on Dec. 2, 2023 that the matter was reported to the police.

In the intervening period between Nov. 16 to the lodging of the police report on Dec. 2, the CCTV system of the school was reformatted, erasing the prior footage.

The police managed to recover the erased CCTV footage.

The footage showed the accused constantly looking at the teachers to ensure they were not observing him.

He would also position his body, such as raising his right leg, to block the line of sight of other teachers.

On the pretext of patting one of the victims to sleep, he had molested her at least nine times over a 25-minute period.

Arrested

Teo was arrested at his home on Dec. 4, 2023, and has been in remand since.

Teo said that he had erectile dysfunction and never had relations with a woman.

Following the arrest, the accused was diagnosed with “paedophilic disorder” by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

However, it did not impair Teo's judgment or impulse control at the time of the offences, an IMH report stated.

Sentenced to over nine years' jail

Teo pleaded guilty on Oct. 27 to three charges of outrage of modesty.

The prosecution sought 10 years' jail for Teo, saying that the accused “targeted the most vulnerable of victims” and that his “repulsive acts strike at the confidence placed in infant-care services”.

In mitigation, Teo's defence lawyer asked for six years' jail.

The defence lawyer said Teo was remorseful but questioned why the school allowed him to care for the children, CNA reported.

During the sentencing, the judge said Teo "deliberately targeted three defenceless and helpless children" and his actions "are abhorrent and represent a gross abuse of trust".

The judge sentenced Teo to nine years, four months and seven week's jail on Nov. 10.

The sentence was backdated to Teo's arrest date on Nov. 4, 2023.

Other actions taken against preschool & staff

Following the discovery of Teo's actions, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) investigated the preschool and discovered multiple safety breaches.

ECDA fined the school S$26,200, restricted all new enrolments, and shortened the school's licence tenure from 36 to six months.

Four management staff members who allegedly covered up the incident have since been fired by the pre-school operator.

ECDA has also taken action against them, including banning three from working in the pre-school sector.

The four women, aged between 48 and 66, who allegedly covered up the incident have been charged in February 2025.

At least one of them appeared to have held a high-ranking staff position at the preschool.

They were each given one charge of intentionally omitting information on the sexual assault.

The charges pertain to the reformatting of the CCTV system, as well as for intentionally omitting to give any information about the alleged molest, and deleting a video clip capturing the offence from a WhatsApp chat.

In July, the 66-year-old woman was given a stern warning and granted a discharge amounting to an acquittal.

This means she cannot be charged again with the same offence.

Top image from Teo Guan Huat/LinkedIn & Canva