Cleaner who lured man to flat and sexually assaulted him pleads guilty

After giving the then 21-year-old man money for a drink, an elderly cleaner lured the man back to his home where he sexually assaulted him.

Teo Koon Tian, 62, knew that the younger man had a mental disability as he had seen him around the neighbourhood and had seen him eating medicine after his meal, according to the prosecution.

On Wednesday (7 November) in the State Courts, Teo admitted to two counts of outraging the modesty and one count of sexually assaulting the man, who is now 22.

The prosecution called for Teo to be assessed for preventive detention, as Teo was a “serial sexual offender” whose crimes spanned nearly 30 years.

Convicted under Section 377A in 1990

In 1990, Teo, then 34, was convicted of committing “gross indecency” under Section 377A of the penal code, which criminalises sex between men. He was sentenced to six months’ jail for the offence.

In 2004, he molested a 13-year-old boy in his neighbourhood and was jailed for 15 months and given nine strokes of the cane. In 2014, Teo molested another 10-year-old boy, also in his neighbourhood. He was jailed 20 months on this charge.

The present set of offences were committed on 17 September last year, when the victim, whose identity is under a gag order, had his dinner at an eating place in Yishun. He shared a table with Teo, who was drinking beer.

The victim, who underwent intellectual assessment testing in 2011, has mild mental retardation and was previously a student with two special schools in Singapore.

The pair chatted briefly and Teo gave the victim money for a drink. He asked for the victim’s age but the latter did not reply. Teo guessed that the victim was in his 20s.

After the victim finished his food, Teo asked him back to his flat to give him money. In fact, Teo wanted to bring the victim home to engage in sexual activity with him, said the prosecution.

Even though the victim was reluctant to follow Teo home, he did so after Teo said he could watch television in his flat.

Act captured by PolCams

At about 6.20pm, Teo then led the victim to his flat by tugging his wrist, an act which was captured by police PolCams at the HDB block.

When the pair reached Teo’s flat, Teo locked the gate and the victim sat on the sofa. Teo asked the victim if he was interested to play with his private parts, before proceeding to molest the victim. The victim replied that he did not want to, as it was not nice and his mother would scold him.

Teo then suggested that they shower in the toilet. The victim was reluctant but relented at Teo’s insistence. The victim agreed on the condition that he bathed himself.

While in the toilet, Teo performed oral sex on the victim despite the latter’s pleas for him to stop. Teo continued until the victim pushed him away. He also molested the victim in the toilet, and asked the victim to similarly touch him. The latter declined, saying that he was afraid and repeating that his mother would scold him.

After the act, Teo asked the victim to return to his flat the following day to give him some shirts, but the victim declined. Teo unlocked his gate and the victim left. The two did not meet again.

The victim called the police on 19 September – two days after the offences – as he was afraid that Teo might molest him again. Teo was arrested later.

Prosecution calls for 10-year preventive detention

While in remand, Teo told an Institute of Mental Health psychiatrist that he had sexual interest in males and had consensual casual sex with adult males in the past. He admitted to his past offences involving underaged victims but claimed to have likely been intoxicated then.

He was assessed to have no intellectual disability or mental illness, and was aware of the wrongfulness of his actions despite his likely intoxication.

The prosecution called for a 10-year preventive detention sentence for Teo, citing that it is the fourth time he has been convicted of sexual offences. Preventive detention is usually given with the intention of preventing the offender from causing further harm. It lasts between seven to 20 years and has no possibility of an early release for good behaviour, unlike a jail term.

“This time, (Teo) took advantage of a 21-year-old male, who was mildly mentally retarded, knowing he had a mental disability,” said DPP Gail Wong.

“He isolated the simple-minded victim by persuading the victim to follow him home on the pretext of watching television,” said the DPP, adding that Teo had used “simple lures” which would not have worked on adults.

A ‘continuing danger’ to the public

Teo also targetted victims in his neighbourhood who were vulnerable due to their immaturity or mental disability, thus posing a “continuing danger” to the public, said the DPP.

Referring to Teo’s past convictions, the DPP pointed out that the time span between Teo’s last offence in 2014 to the present offence was shorter than the previous period.

“(Teo) had now graduated to penetrative sexual activity in addition to molest,” she said.

The prosecution stated that Teo was “incapable of rehabilitation” and was “beyond redemption” as he continued to reoffend despite his previous punishments.

Teo’s lawyer, Melvin Loh, said that his client is elderly and “wishes to serve his sentence as soon as possible”. The defence lawyer did not object to have Teo assessed for preventive detention given his record but sought for a jail term of the same length.

Teo will be back in court on 21 November.

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