Recalcitrant paedophile of 33 years given preventive detention
SINGAPORE — A recalcitrant paedophile of 33 years who molested young boys on public buses was on Thursday (26 December) sentenced to seven years’ preventive detention.
Seyad Sulaiman Maideen Pillai, 53, had pleaded guilty last month to two of three charges of outraging the modesty of a person under 14. The remaining count was considered in sentencing.
Seyad, a cleaner with pedophilic disorder and mild intellectual disability, has a criminal record involving sex crimes against minors, mostly boys, dating back to 1986.
He admitted during investigations to have touched 10 boys on board buses since his release from prison last year.
Preventive detention is a sentencing option meant to protect the public from recalcitrant offenders, who must serve a jail term of between seven and 20 years in full with no reduction given for good behaviour.
Gave first victim $2 before molesting him
In late May, a nine-year-old boy boarded bus service 105 and saw Seyad. The boy recognised Seyad from a past interaction on board the same bus.
The perpetrator patted on the seat next to him and the boy sat there. Seyed then gave the boy $2, which he accepted as he didn’t want to appear rude.
The culprit then stroked the victim’s thigh and placed his arm around his shoulder. Afraid, the boy didn’t push Seyad away.
The molestation lasted for up to five minutes. Before alighting, Seyad blew a kiss at the victim.
Asked second victim, ‘Do you love me?’
Less than a month later, on 11 June, Seyad targetted a 12-year-old boy. The second victim boarded bus service 105 with his 10-year-old sister and sat separately from her.
Seyad asked the boy to join him in the back row of the bus and the latter complied as he thought that the perpetrator needed help.
Referring to the nine-year-old boy whom he earlier molested, Seyad asked the second victim, “Where is my friend?” The boy said he didn’t know what the culprit was talking about.
Seyad then asked, “Do you love me?”, to which the second victim replied, “No”.
The perpetrator then stroked the boy’s thigh and touched his lower back and shoulders. The boy pushed Seyad’s hand and walked away.
The boy joined his sister at the front of the bus and also told his father about the incident over the phone. His mother made a police report the next day.
From then on, the boy’s father accompanied him on the bus for his safety. Three days after the incident, the boy spotted Seyad on bus service 105 and alerted his father.
The boy’s father then called the police. Father and son tailed Seyad when he alighted near Far East Plaza, but lost sight of him shortly after.
Police officers later tracked down and arrested Seyad, who was working at Far East Plaza.
History of sex crimes against minors
Seyad has twice received corrective training for sexual crimes against minors. Like preventive detention, offenders sentenced to corrective training must serve their jail term of between five and 14 years in full with no remission given for good behaviour.
In July 1986, Seyad was fined $500 for molesting a 10-year-old girl. And in August 1995, he was jailed for six months along with three strokes of the cane for molesting a 10-year-old boy.
He received five years’ corrective training with six strokes of the cane in June 1999 for sexual offences against a boy.
Then in March 2012, he was sentenced to six years’ corrective training for molesting a seven-year-old boy.
According to a report from the Institute of Mental Health, Seyad’s mild intellectual disability affected his ability to learn from his prison stints.
The maximum punishment for molestation, where the victim is under 14, is up to five years’ jail along with a fine and caning. Only male offenders below 50 can be caned.
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