Intellectually disabled teen reoffends amid pending court case

Despite having a pending court case, an intellectually disabled teenager who took part in the Special Olympics World Games last March committed further offences, including performing an obscene act in front of a woman working at his former school.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty yesterday to two charges of insulting a woman's modesty and one count of performing an obscene act in public.

The young man had earlier admitted to one count each of attempting to commit voyeurism, molestation, appearing nude in a public place and performing an obscene act in front of a woman.

He cannot be named due to gag orders to protect the identity of his victims. Details about his participation in the Games in Abu Dhabi last year also cannot be revealed as doing so could breach the gag orders.

On June 4, the teenager called the main office line of his former school and asked for a woman who was working there. Identifying himself by another name, he told her, among other things, that he wanted to "make sex" with her.

The teen called again the next day asking for the woman, and identified himself as "Haiqal".

He told her that he wanted to "play sex" and "make sex" with her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Phoebe Tan said the phone number used to make the calls was subsequently traced to the teenager.

On the morning of June 16, the woman was walking along a sheltered walkway when she heard a person saying: "Need help."

Turning around, she spotted the teen, who rubbed his private parts over his clothing and ran away.

She later discovered him trying to hide in a grass patch, after he called out to her again.

The young man's actions are the latest in a string of offences that he has admitted to.

He was caught performing a sexual act in front of a woman at a Kang Ching Road block of flats in Taman Jurong on April 16, 2018.

In May last year, he was spotted running around in the nude at a multi-storey carpark in Tah Ching Road, also in Taman Jurong.

On Oct 14 last year, the teenager was in Keat Hong Close, near Choa Chu Kang Avenue 6, where he molested a 19-year-old girl. He also attempted to peep at a psychologist at his school while she was in the toilet on Jan 30 this year.

The teen's lawyer, Mr Sim Bing Wen, had earlier urged the court to put his client on probation.

Yesterday, District Judge May Mesenas called for a supplementary report to determine if he is still suitable for probation.

His case is expected to be heard again on Dec 7.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 27, 2020, with the headline Intellectually disabled teen reoffends amid pending court case. Subscribe