Ex-MOM housing officer followed 11-year-old girl from playground to her flat and molested her

SINGAPORE: A housing officer with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) took a photo of an 11-year-old girl at a playground and followed her to her flat, where he molested her. 

Loh Jin, 57, was sentenced to one year and five months' jail on Tuesday (Jan 10).

He pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force to outrage the victim's modesty, with another charge taken into consideration.

In response to queries from CNA, MOM said Loh was no longer in its employment.

"Pending the outcome of (police) investigations, we had suspended him from duty in October 2020 and subsequently did not renew his contract when it expired in August 2021," said a ministry spokesperson. 

The court heard that the victim took a bus home from Bishan with her eight-year-old brother on Oct 19, 2020.

They alighted near her school and played with other children at a nearby playground.

Loh had taken the same bus and alighted at the same bus stop as the victim and her brother.

He noticed the victim playing at the playground and walked over to take a picture of the victim and her brother.

At about 5.30pm, the victim and her brother decided to head back home. Loh followed them.

He trailed the pair into the lift and went up with them. When they got out at the level where their flat was, Loh followed them.

The children's parents were not home at the time. When they entered the flat, Loh followed them inside.

The victim was surprised to see Loh entering the unit and told him that her parents had instructed her not to let strangers into their family home.

Loh showed her the photo he had taken of the girl and her brother, before extending his hand and molesting the girl.

The girl was shocked, recoiled and took a step back before crying.

When Loh saw that the girl was distressed by what he had done, he left the flat quickly and took the stairs down before taking a cab home.

The victim lodged a police report later that day.

She called 999 and said "a guy" followed her and her brother into their house. "He refused to go away. He went inside the house and he touch my ... area. He is old, wearing white shirt, grey shorts, with spectacles. Not sure how old is he," she said.

The prosecutor called for at least one-and-a-half years' jail, saying that Loh was persistent in his offending conduct, and that the victim was only 11.

Lawyer Josiah Zee of Invictus Law asked instead for not more than a year's jail, with two months in lieu of caning if warranted.

He said this was Loh's first brush with the law. Loh had also cooperated with the police and pleaded guilty at an early stage.