‘Heinous and depraved’: Stepdad jailed in Singapore for raping 11-year-old stepdaughter, forcing her to record parents’ intimate acts
SINGAPORE — A 29-year-old man who sexually abused his 11-year-old stepdaughter and forced her to record a video of him and her mother having sex has been sentenced to 15 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
He pleaded guilty at the High Court on Monday (February 24) to charges of aggravated rape, sexual exploitation of a child, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, according to a report published in Channel News Asia today.
Nine additional charges, including performing sexual acts in front of the girl, were considered during sentencing.
The abuse occurred between November and December 2022.
The family lived in a one-bedroom flat, with the victim sleeping on a sofa in the living room while her mother and the accused shared a mattress nearby.
The victim’s two older brothers occupied the sole bedroom.
On the first occasion, the accused woke up early and, frustrated after being interrupted by the victim earlier during an intimate moment with her mother, watched porn and pleasured himself.
Noticing the victim watching, he made her perform a sex act on him and touched her despite her resistance.
“The accused told the victim to trust him, that he will not hurt her, and that he would ‘make it fast’,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Kai told the court.
He stopped only after the girl complained of pain and told her to keep the incident secret.
A few days later, the accused again woke up early and attempted to initiate sex with his wife, who did not respond.
He then pleasured himself, knowing the victim was awake.
When he asked if she wanted to “do it again,” she refused.
Despite her resistance, he performed sex acts on her, causing her pain, and coerced her into performing a sex act on him.
The victim felt powerless to refuse, fearing his anger.
Afterward, he told her to wash her hands and apologised.
On another occasion, the accused sent the victim a text message, asking her to record a video of him and her mother having sex.
“The victim agreed as she felt relieved that the accused was not going to engage in any sexual acts with her,” Ng said.
The man sent her a 10-second video of himself with her mother and provided instructions on how to record the act.
That night, the girl complied, hiding under her blanket.
In December 2022, the victim confided in her brother, who assured her she was right to refuse the accused’s advances.
Though her brother wanted to inform their mother, the victim refused, fearing it would hurt her mother’s feelings.
Meanwhile, the man continued sending the victim messages requesting sex acts, which she declined.
He later apologised.
In January 2023, the victim and her brother finally revealed the abuse to their mother.
After discussions, the victim agreed to forgive the accused to avoid breaking the family apart, and he continued living with them.
The victim’s suffering came to light when a tuition teacher noticed cuts on her left forearm. Initially claiming they were cat scratches, the victim eventually opened up about her feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of overdosing on medication.
The teacher took her to a social worker, who spoke with the victim’s mother.
The mother disclosed the abuse but revealed the victim had agreed to give the accused a second chance.
The victim was later examined at a hospital, and a police report was filed.
Despite the accused’s arrest on May 12, 2023, the victim expressed concern about the family being torn apart.
The prosecution noted that the victim continues to live with her mother and brothers, and her mother is not facing any criminal charges.
During sentencing, the prosecution sought 14 to 15 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane, while the defence argued for 12 to 13 years.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu described the accused’s actions as “disturbing,” noting he had “prematurely exposed the victim to information and knowledge she (was) not of age for.”
She emphasised the “particularly perverse” nature of the act involving the victim’s mother, showing his disregard for the repercussions on both the victim and her mother.
The accused’s lawyer, Teo Choo Kee, stated his client was “very repentant” and sought forgiveness from those he had hurt.
“To this date, he cannot understand what came over him to commit these acts which were clearly reprehensible,” Teo said.
Justice Aidan Xu @ Aedit Abdullah delivered a stern rebuke to the accused, addressing him directly: “You committed crimes against your stepdaughter which were heinous and depraved. You robbed her of her innocence when she was only 11 years old. She calls you papa and regarded you as her father (but you) violated her and made use of her to satisfy your lust.”
The judge highlighted the victim’s heartbreaking reaction when asked to record her parents’ intimate act, noting her relief at not being assaulted again.
He called the offence “especially depraved behaviour,” as the accused exposed the victim to a sexual act between her parents.
Justice Xu expressed hope for the victim’s recovery and commended the tuition teacher and social worker for their vigilance, urging them and their colleagues to “continue to do their best.”
