Jail for 64-year-old man who groped boy’s chest twice, told him not to be scared
A 64-year-old man has been jailed for molesting a 12-year-old boy on Jan 22, 2019.
SINGAPORE — A 64-year-old man told a boy who was on his way home from school that he had “nice breasts”, before proceeding to grope his chest twice.
On Thursday (June 6), Vellasamy Panaliappan was jailed six weeks after pleading guilty in the State Courts to using criminal force to molest the 12-year-old boy, who cannot be named to protect his identity.
In mitigation, Vellasamy told the court that he had been heavily intoxicated, but knew that he had touched the boy. “I sincerely apologise to the victim and the court, and I plead for leniency,” he added through an interpreter.
The court heard that the incident happened on Jan 22 this year at about 6pm. The boy, who was in his school uniform, had alighted from a bus in front of a block of flats in Woodlands.
As the boy walked home, Vellasamy approached him while holding a can of beer. The man asked him how he was and where he lived, and the boy replied.
Vellasamy then said to the boy: “You have nice breasts. Can I touch?”
The boy shook his head, but Vellasamy ignored him by placing his hand on his shoulder and saying: “We are all humans.” He then groped the boy’s chest over his clothes.
When the boy moved away out of fear, Vellasamy walked closer and repeated: “We are all humans. All the same. Don’t be scared.” He then touched the boy again.
Before the boy could react, Vellasamy walked away. Feeling scared and angry, the boy told his cousin and mother what had happened when he reached home, before calling the police.
District Judge Marvin Bay noted that such offences “can cause tremendous and lingering trauma to the young victim, who may have difficulty in understanding, processing or coming to terms with what has happened to him or her”.
He said that the courts also have to take a “very serious view” when dealing with the molestation of any child or other vulnerable victims.
“While (Vellasamy) has touched the victim’s clothed chest, I do note that he has used highly sexualised language when he sought to touch him,” the judge added.
For using criminal force to molest a minor under 14 years of age, Vellasamy could have been jailed up to five years, caned, fined, or any combination of the three.
