Man made stepdaughter perform sex act on him when she lost online game
SINGAPORE — Every time his then 12-year-old stepdaughter lost a game played on an iPad, a man would ask her to perform a sexual act on him with the use of a toy.
The abuse continued over six months in 2012 and remained under wraps until the girl had the courage to reveal to her mother about the man’s actions six years later.
The man also committed other sexual offences. While cleaning the house in 2017, his wife came across a camcorder containing upskirt videos of unknown women, which he recorded on more than five occasions.
The 43-year-old Singaporean was found guilty on Tuesday (2 June) of procuring an obscene act by his stepdaughter.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his stepdaughter, also admitted to insulting the modesty of women on five occasions. Another 10 charges of the same nature will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.
During the trial, the victim, now 20, testified that she and her mother shared a flat with the man and his mother.
After school, the girl would return home. Her mother would not reach home until the evening, while the man’s mother would remain in her room most of the time.
On a number of occasions, the man would punish her for not studying properly by hitting her face and hands with a rolled up magazine. He would also make her stand outside the flat for hours until midnight. The punishments made the girl fear her stepfather.
Made to perform sexual act if she lost iPad game
The first occasion of sexual abuse occurred under the pretext of a game. The man asked his stepdaughter to join him in a game called ‘Millionaire’ which they played on an iPad in the man’s room with the door closed.
When the victim lost the game, the man took out a sex toy and made the girl perform a sexual act on him. “When it was over, she immediately went to her room. She recalled that she either cried or self-harmed by cutting herself,” according to court documents.
About once a week, she was made to perform the same act on him after playing the game. The incidents continued until 2 July 2012, when the girl’s teacher noticed the girl’s injuries. A day earlier, the man had beaten the girl over schoolwork until her lips bled.
The teacher lodged a police report together with the girl, who was later placed in a home. She did not return to the man’s residence.
Girl confided in mother six years later
The girl remained mum about the sexual abuse for fear of retaliation, and that no one would believe her.
It was only six years later, on 18 August 2018, that the victim confided in her mother while they went out together. The girl told her mother, “If you know something and you...didn’t do anything about it, then I won’t forgive you.”
Her mother took her to make a police report and filed for a divorce.
The victim saw a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with dysthymia, a persistent depressive disorder, due to the sexual abuse.
In September 2017, her mother discovered a camcorder belonging to her husband while she was cleaning the house. She saw the upskirt videos in the gadget and subsequently made a police report.
During investigations, the man admitted to taking upskirt videos of unknown female victims in 2016. He would place the camcorder in a paper bag with the camera lens facing upwards in recording mode.
He would then conceal the camcorder with a piece of paper and position the paper bag under the skirts of women.
The man will return to court on 30 June to be sentenced.
For sexually exploiting a child, the man could be jailed up to five years, and/or fined up to $10,000. For insulting the modesty of a woman, he faces a jail term of up to a year, and/or a fine.
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