Man who molested girl he met at Jurong playground jailed, caned
He approached the seven-year-old girl at a playground in Jurong and offered to take her to another playground at a mall.
Instead of doing so, however, Paramasivam Maniam brought the girl and her friend to a park where he sexually abused her.
The 33-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to two years, eight months and two weeks’ jail on Monday (8 October). He was also handed three strokes of the cane and disqualified from driving for two years.
Paramasivam, who has been diagnosed with mild mental retardation, had pleaded guilty to one count of molest for abusing he girl. He also admitted to one count of forgery – related to a job he was fired from in four days – and one count of stealing a motorcycle.
Similar charges relating to the same incidents were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Indecent invite
Paramasivam committed the sexual offence in August 2015, when he approached the girl at a playground in Jurong. He offered to bring the girl to a playground at Westgate Mall but, in fact, had an urge to have sex with her.
A nine-year-old male friend of the girl overheard the conversation and told Paramasivam that he would join them. Placing the girl on the front of his bicycle, Paramasivam then cycled to the playground with the boy following behind on his own bicycle.
Instead of the playground, Paramasivam brought the two children to a hut at the Bukit Batok Nature Park. When the boy left to use the toilet, Paramasivam pulled down the girl’s shorts and molested her.
He then went to a nearby bush to urinate before asking the girl to perform a sexual act on him. After the boy returned, the three returned to the playground where they had met.
After Paramasivam left, the girl told the boy what happened. On 14 September 2015, the boy spotted Paramasivam and decided to call the police.
Investigations revealed that the two children had first met Paramasivam at the Jurong playground a few months prior to the incident.
Other crimes
Earlier that year, Paramasivam also forged a pay cheque that was issued to him by changing a digit on it. Instead of receiving the $317.36 that was owed to him, he changed the “3” on the cheque to an “8” and had $817.36 credited into his bank account.
Paramasivam, who had worked as a cleaner with Ace Environ Maintenance for four days before being fired, used the money for his own expenses and has not made any restitution. The company noticed the discrepancy in May 2016 and lodged a police report.
In a 2016 incident, Paramasivam took a joy ride on a motorcycle that did not belong to him. He used one of his own keys to start the motorcycle and rode it up and down Jurong Road. He then parked it along the road before cycling back home.
The motorcycle’s owner called the police after discovering his vehicle parked some distance away from its last location and noticing that its speedometer had a different reading. Its handle was also broken.
‘He knew the act was wrong’
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yvonne Poon asked for three years’ jail and three strokes of the cane while Paramasivam’s lawyer asked for no caning for his client given his mental condition.
District Judge Josephine Kang noted that there had been skin-to-skin contact in the molest offences and that Paramasivam had used deception to lure the girl from the playground.
She pointed out that the girl’s young age made her defenceless and that she could “hardly have extricated herself if she wanted to”.
Kang added that Paramasivam’s mental condition had no bearing on the offence as he knew his actions were wrong. “It is not an issue of him being unable to control, he knew the act was wrong but he did it anyway,” said the judge.
As for Paramasivam’s theft of the motorcycle, the judge noted his list of past property-related offences dating back to 2004. While Paramasivam had returned the motorcycle, there was a need to impress on him that he should not take things that did not belong to him, said the judge.
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