Ex-S'pore Idol judge Ken Lim gets 13 months' jail for molesting woman, 25, during 2021 work interview in his office

Ken Lim, the former Singapore Idol judge and music producer, has been sentenced to a year and a month in prison for molesting a woman in November 2021.

The woman had met him on three occasions for work-related interviews at the office of Hype Records, where Lim was executive director at the time.

The woman was 25 years old then, while Lim was 57.

In 2023, he was charged with outraging the woman's modesty by using criminal force to touch her breast, but he denied it and did not plead guilty.

The State Courts judge convicted Lim of molestation previously on Sep. 26, 2025, and delivered the sentencing on Nov. 18.

Suggestive behaviour

Previously, the woman told the court that she was invited to the Hype Records office as the company wanted to explore potential collaborations with her, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

The woman went in excited, seeing the opportunity as a major breakthrough for her.

During the second meeting, Lim asked the woman whether she would "suck a director’s d*ck", then assured her that it

would not actually happen.

He further asked her if she would “f*** for a change”, if not she would leave the studio room with no change.

Lim later claimed that this was a figure of speech.

Additionally, he put his hand on her lower back as he saw her off at the lobby, and messaged her that he was “happy to tie [her] up, babe”, with a kissing or smiling emoji.

In response to that message, the woman said she did not appreciate such sexual comments, and Lim replied that "everything is serious".

Skin contact

During their third meeting, Lim sat beside her and asked her to kiss him.

She did so, as she believed Lim was trying to test her which she did, but was disgusted by it.

Lim asked her to kiss him again with more passion, then touched her chest as they kissed without her consent.

The prosecutor highlighted that the offence was serious as there was skin-to-skin touching as Lim had reached his hand into the victim's top and bra.

Sentencing

For Lim's molestation charge, the court ordered that he be imprisoned for 12 months.

The final sentence included an additional month of prison in lieu of caning, according to court details seen by Mothership.

A person convicted of molestation can be imprisoned for up to three years, fined, caned, or any combination of such punishments.

However, as Lim is over 50 years old, he was exempted from caning.

Other molestation allegations

Five women have separately accused Lim of molestation and insult of modesty, altogether bringing seven charges against him.

Most of the incidents happened at the Hype Records office, while one took place at his home, according to charge sheets seen by Mothership.

He has and will continue to contest each allegation in five separate criminal trials.

One charge accused him of asking a 26-year-old woman, "are you a virgin", and "what if I have sex with you right now" on Jul. 25, 2012, in the car park of the Hype Records office.

After a trial, the judge found Lim not guilty and acquitted him on this charge on Dec. 11, 2024.

The judge said then that the woman's testimony and evidence were inconsistent and embellished.

As for the November 2021 case, the judge convicted Lim, saying on Sep. 26, 2025 that the victim was "unusually convincing" while Lim was "untruthful".

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