A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular was sentenced yesterday to 7½ years' jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a girl and attempting to molest another victim four months later.
Mohamed Ardlee Iriandee Mohamed Sanip was convicted on Feb 27, following a trial, of molesting an eight-year-old girl in January 2018.
On March 23, he admitted in court that he had tried to molest a 10-year-old girl in May that year as well. The two girls cannot be named owing to a gag order.
Court documents did not disclose Ardlee's rank and role at the Safti Military Institute - his deployment at the time of the offences.
Before sentencing Ardlee yesterday, District Judge John Ng noted that the 40-year-old was a first-time offender, but added that his offences were "very serious" and they involved young schoolgirls.
The judge said the punishment should be severe enough to "reflect the condemnation" of such acts.
In her submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana stated that Ardlee had developed an interest in young girls a month before targeting the first victim.
The prosecutor added that Ardlee was also "predisposed to thoughts of molesting them, and had thought of doing so by waiting near primary schools for opportunities".
The victim and a friend were walking back from school at about 3pm on Jan 22, 2018, when they spotted Ardlee at a Housing Board block in Tampines where the friend's grandparents live.
After walking her friend to her flat, the victim was near a lift lobby when Ardlee grabbed her hand and molested her. He released her only after she told him several times to stop. She returned to her friend's flat, and the police were alerted.
Ardlee struck again on May 21 that year, when he attempted to molest a 10-year-old girl in Choa Chu Kang. She was on her way home from school and had entered a lift alone. When she reached the second storey, she saw Ardlee standing outside.
When he pulled her towards the corner of a staircase landing area, she started screaming. Ardlee released her and fled.
The girl returned home and told her aunt about the incident. Ardlee was arrested the next day.
Ardlee is now out on bail of $30,000 and was ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on Nov 2 to begin serving his sentence.
The Ministry of Defence yesterday said that the SAF had discharged him from service.
"The Singapore Armed Forces holds its servicemen to high standards of discipline and integrity, and expects them to abide by the law. Those who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law," it added.
For each charge, offenders convicted of molesting a child below 14 years old can be jailed for up to 10 years and caned.
