32-year-old badminton coach ‘groomed’, sexually assaulted 14-year-old boy
A man in handcuffs. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Over three years, a freelance badminton coach groomed a young student and pressured the then-14-year-old to take part in sexual activities with him.
The coach, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, is facing 23 charges: 7 counts under the Children and Young Persons Act for committing an indecent act with a child, 15 counts under the Penal Code for sexual assault of a minor and one count for the possession of obscene films.
The 32-year-old Singaporean man pleaded guilty to 10 charges today (Oct 27), with the other 13 charges to be taken into consideration during sentencing.
The coach met his victim in 2012, when the boy joined his school’s badminton team. The accused was then the team’s assistant coach.
The court heard that between 2012 and last year, the coach and student “developed a close relationship”, and the victim came to see the accused “not just as a coach, but also as a role model and a mentor”. The student even quit the school’s badminton team to train privately with the accused when he left his coaching position at the school in end-2013.
The coach often sexually assaulted his victim in public places, such as male toilets at Hougang and Sengkang Sports Halls and on two occasions where the accused brought students overseas. Once they went to Phuket on holiday and once they headed to Batam to participate in a badminton tournament. The suspect also regularly brought his victim to public car parks at night and performed sexual acts on him in his car.
The abuse came to light in October 2013, when a police officer carrying out patrols spotted the accused’s car in the open space car park at Venus Drive close to midnight with its engine switched on.
The accused was found topless with his pants pulled down and his victim was naked. Police interviewed the two separately and both admitted to sexual acts.
The court heard that in early September last year, when the victim tried to put a stop to the sexual assaults, the coach threatened to sever their relationship and demanded his victim return items he had previously given to him. As the victim feared losing him as a coach and mentor, the abuse continued.
In the same month, the accused told his victim to send him a naked photograph and he complied.
In October last year, the accused even brought his victim to meet a male prostitute at People’s Park Complex where the prostitute performed sexual acts on them.
The coach, who is unrepresented, is expected to be sentenced on Nov 17. He is out on bail of S$15,000.
For committing an indecent act with a child, he could face up to 5 years’ jail or a fine of up to S$10,000. For sexual assault of a minor, he could face up to 10 years’ jail and a fine. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
