Man jailed for molesting 9-year-old schoolgirl in broad daylight
He kissed a nine-year-old schoolgirl twice and grabbed her buttocks in broad daylight just outside an LRT station.
Neo Beng Yeow’s blatant sexual assault was witnessed by a woman, Cheryl Wong, who saw 51-year-old Neo and the victim from the LRT station. Neo was stopped in the act when Wong rushed to the girl’s aid and pulled her from Neo’s grip.
For one count of outraging the modesty of the school girl, Neo was sentenced to 15 months’ jail and four strokes of the cane on Tuesday (30 May). Neo, who pleaded guilty on 9 May, will be jailed for an additional eight weeks instead of getting caning due to his age.
The incident occurred on 1 March this year while the girl was waiting at a bus stop near Block 153 Rivervale Crescent after 2.30pm. Neo approached the girl and told her she was cute. He then touched her hair before grabbing her shoulder and kissing her on the lips.
The girl, who was in her physical education attire, tried to push Neo away but couldn’t. Neo kissed the girl’s lips again and tried to carry her. At this point, Wong arrived and pulled the girl away from Neo.
Wong had met Neo a short while before the offence as she was walking along the pavement towards Rumbia LRT station. Neo had approached Wong for money, claiming that he had lost his wallet. However, Wong ignored him and continued on her way to the LRT.
When Wong was on the second floor of the LRT station, she looked down and saw Neo standing at the bus stop. She watched him as she found him suspicious due to their earlier encounter.
As soon as Wong saw Neo kissing and touching the girl, she ran down the LRT towards the two.
After being detained by Wong, Neo tried to pass off the girl as his niece, which was untrue, said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Gail Wong.
The girl’s mother, who was informed about the incident, found her daughter crying by the kerb when she came down to the scene. According to DPP Wong, the girl was crying as she was shocked by what Neo had done to her.
The police were informed and officers arrested Neo on the same day. Neo had believed that the girl was about eight years old, said DPP Wong.
The prosecution sought for at least 18 months’ jail. DPP Wong called Neo’s act “brazen and outrageous”, citing Neo’s “disgusting act” of kissing the girl twice on the lips as an aggravating factor.
“The [girl] had her first intimate kiss stolen forcefully by a stranger,” said DPP Wong.
She added, “He has destroyed for [the girl] the innocence of an affectionate kiss given by an adult to a child, robbed her of the experience of having the choice to give away her first intimate kiss on her own free will to a loved one”.
DPP Wong also described how the girl had to be pulled away from Neo. “[Neo] treated [the girl] like a ragdoll… [she] was absolutely helpless…[and] had no control over what was being done to her,” said DPP Wong.
Neo was unrepresented in court.
For molesting a person under 14 years of age, Neo could have been jailed up to five years and/or fined and/or caned.
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