Teen who took part in Special Olympics 2019 reoffended while awaiting sentence for earlier crimes

SINGAPORE - Despite having a pending court case, an intellectually disabled youth 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 on Monday (Oct 26) to two charges of insulting a woman's modesty, and one count of performing an obscene act in public. A charge of unlawful stalking will be taken into consideration during sentencing by District Judge May Masenas.

The youth 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 was expected to be sentenced for those offences this year.

He cannot be named due to gag orders to protect the identity of his victims.

Details about his sporting event 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 youth 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.

The youth eventually hung up after the woman passed the call to her colleague, who tried to ascertain his identity.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Phoebe Tan said that 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 youth 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 woman quickly entered the school and informed the management of the incident.

DPP Tan said that the victim commuted to school in a private-hire car in the next few days, as she felt it was unsafe to walk along the sheltered walkway.

The youth'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 25-year-old woman at a Kang Ching Road block of flats in Taman Jurong on April 16, 2018.

And in May last year, he was spotted running around 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 when he molested a 19-year-old girl.

He also attempted to peep at a psychologist at his school while she was in a toilet on Jan 30 this year.

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

On Monday, District Judge 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.

For each count of insulting a woman's modesty, the teenager can be jailed for up to a year and/or fined.

He can also be jailed for up to three months and/or fined for doing an obscene act in public.

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