Jail for former teacher who molested seven-year-old girl

A former reading specialist teacher who molested his seven-year-old female student was sentenced to 18 months plus six weeks of jail on Tuesday (3 January).

The teacher, 66-year-old Briton Ian Lewis, was handed the six weeks’ jail sentence in lieu of the three strokes because he is above 50 and cannot be caned.

Lewis had admitted to rubbing the girl at the enrichment centre he taught at sometime between 16 September and mid-December in 2014. An additional charge of molesting another eight-year-old girl in March 2015 was also taken into consideration.

The court had heard that Lewis started work at the Orchard-area centre in 2012. He had lived in Singapore for two years then.

The victim, who was enrolled with the centre from November 2013 to December 2014, attended Lewis’ classes once a week.

According to investigations, Lewis would sit beside the victim and molest her while keeping his hands under the table.

Though uncomfortable and frightened, the victim did not tell anyone as she was afraid Lewis would scold her.

After watching an episode of Crime Watch which showed a tutor behaving inappropriately with a student, the victim realised that what Lewis had done was wrong and confided in her mother.

When the victim and her mother lodged a police report on 12 July 2015, they found that a similar report had been lodged against Lewis by parents of another student, and that he had been suspended.

According to the Straits Times, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chee Ee Ling said in her sentencing submissions that Lewis was in a position of trust and authority. She cited the victim’s tender age, the large age gap and the prolonged touching of the girl’s private parts.

Lewis’ sentence was backdated to 28 October last year. The maximum penalty he could have gotten was five years’ jail, fine and caning.