Man, 59, who sexually assaulted employer's seven-year-old granddaughter jailed

He sexually assaulted the girl, who is young enough to be his granddaughter, on at least seven occasions.

On the last occasion before the incident was revealed, the man, 59, even showed the seven-year-old girl a pornographic video before sexually assaulting her. The man committed the act even as he was fully aware that the girl’s maid was sitting two to three metres away.

The man, who is married with an adult son, worked in the girl’s paternal grandfather’s restaurant as a delivery driver and was a trusted employee of nearly a decade. None of the parties involved in the incident can be named in order to protect the girl’s identity.

The man was sentenced to 20 years’ jail in the High Court on Monday (14 May) after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault by digital penetration of a girl under 14 years old.

Another four similar counts of sexual assault, four of committing an obscene act with the girl and one of exhibiting an obscene object to her, were taken into consideration for sentencing. The offences occurred between September 2015 and December 2016.

The court heard that the man had been working for the girl’s grandfather since 2006. “As a long-time employee of the family business, he was more than a worker and was very close to the family members,” said deputy public prosecutor N K Anitha.

The grandfather would often bring his grandchildren to the restaurant and the man cared for them like his own daughters. He would often buy sweets and toys for them, which the grandfather would reimburse him for.

Although the family observed that the man was particularly close to the girl, they did not suspect anything was amiss, said the prosecution.

In June 2016, following a fallout between the girl’s grandfather and father, the man became the “trusted link” between the estranged parties of the family after the girl moved to her home, according to the prosecution.

The grandfather asked the man to help him deliver household items and food to the girl’s home. The man visited the girl at least once a week, including visiting in his own free time.

One of the man’s colleagues observed that the girl, who called the man “Uncle”, appeared to lack attention from her parents and would be happy to see the man.

When she was seven years old, sometime in September 2015, the girl was in the restaurant during her school holidays when the man brought her to office rest area – located in an obscure corner behind the office – to play. He knew that there was no CCTV camera in the room and that no one else was present. He closed the door to the room before playing with the girl by throwing her into the air.

After the game, while the girl sat on his lap, the man became aroused and touched the girl’s private parts with his left hand. The girl felt uncomfortable and shifted around to stop the man. After removing his hand, the man told the girl, “Don’t tell anyone, this is our secret”.

The man also committed other obscene acts on the girl three separate times, including in the delivery van that he used for work. During these incidents, he touched the girl and exposed himself to her, making her touch his private parts.

On another occasion, the man visited the girl at her home to bring her sweets. The girl’s maid and half-sister were in the house at the time. While in the living room, the girl, who was eight then, sat on the man’s lap. The man became aroused and sexually assaulted the girl, only stopping when the maid entered.

On 5 December 2016, the man made the girl sit on his lap in the living room while the maid was seated at a dining table two to three metres away from the pair.

While seated, the man played an obscene video and made the child watch it. He later sexually assaulted the girl and persisted even though the girl closed her thighs.

At this moment, the maid turned her head and saw the man’s hand in the girl’s tights. She also heard the girl telling the man to stop. After a few seconds, the man removed his hand and left, unaware that the maid had seen the act.

When the maid asked the girl what happened, the latter started crying and confided in the maid. The girl’s grandfather was informed and a police report was lodged on 8 December 2016.

In its sentencing submissions, the prosecution said, “Knowing fully well that the victim lacked motherly love…he unhesitatingly and repeatedly exploited her. He exposed her to a myriad of sexual offences over a span of nearly 15 months, and sexually groomed her in the process.”

The prosecution asked for 28 years’ jail, citing several aggravating factors, including how he had abused the trust of the family.

The man’s lawyer, Wee Hong Shern, asked for 20 years’ jail for his client and described the prosecution’s submission as “crushing and excessive”. He said the man, who has been married for over 30 years, was “lonely and miserable” and had not had sex with his wife over 20 years.

“(The man) does not know what had overcome him to thereafter commit such acts of depravity but is thoroughly remorseful for his wrongdoing,” said Wee.

Justice Woo Bih Li agreed with the prosecution that the man had “betrayed the trust reposed in (him) by (his) employer”. “That you have not slept with your wife for several years is not a mitigating factor,” added the judge.

The man could have been jailed between 8 years and 20 years on each count of sexual assault. He cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.