Former teacher charged over sexual acts with underage student in latest such case
This is the fourth such case to come before the courts in the past month.
The State Courts of Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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SINGAPORE: A former teacher was charged in court on Thursday (Apr 2) with multiple charges over sexual acts with an underage student.
The Singaporean, who is in his 30s, was handed nine charges in total - six of committing indecent acts with a young person and three charges of sexual penetration of a minor.
A gag order imposed by the court prevents the publication of anything that might identify the accused and the victim, including the incident locations.
Court records indicate that the pair have a "former teacher and student relationship".
According to charge sheets, the alleged offences took place between February and December in 2023.
The man is accused of kissing and hugging a girl below 16 years of age in public around Feb 16, 2023. The girl's exact age was redacted due to the gag order.
Sometime between March and June in 2023, the man allegedly engaged in intimate acts with the girl.
On Oct 19, 2023, he allegedly engaged in more intimate acts with the same girl. That same day, he allegedly had the girl perform a sex act on him.
On Nov 2, 2023, the man allegedly performed a sex act on the girl, along with kissing and hugging her.
He is also accused of having the girl perform a sex act on him on this occasion.
The man is also accused of kissing the girl around Nov 23, 2023.
Around Dec 21, 2023, the man allegedly kissed and hugged the girl, and had her perform a sex act on him.
The case was adjourned for a pre-trial conference in May.
The man is represented by Mr Kalidass Murugaiyan and Mr Kanthan Raghavendra from Kalidass Law.
In response to CNA, a spokesperson for MOE said the individual was suspended from duty in January 2024 and has since been dismissed from service.
"MOE takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline," said the spokesperson.
If convicted of sexual penetration of a minor, the man faces up to 10 years' jail, a fine, or both per charge.
If found guilty of committing an indecent act with a young person, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
This is the latest case allegedly involving sexual or intimate acts by a former teacher and a student.
There were three such cases that came before the courts in the past month.
Last week, a former primary school teacher was sentenced to jail for a sexual relationship with her underage former student.
In March, the prosecution urged the court to convict a 41-year-old former secondary school teacher of sexual grooming and indecent acts with a student.
Also in March, a female former teacher, 40, was charged over sex-related offences against a boy who was below the age of 16.
