The man’s sentence was backdated to the date of his arrest on May 18 last 12 months.
Court documents show that the person had been in a romantic relationship with the victim’s biological mother since 2004, and later moved in together with her and lived as a family.
The victim, who was between five and 6 years old on the time, treated the person like a father.
They moved house again and again through the years – in 2010 they moved in with the person’s parents within the Chua Chu Kang district, after which in 2013 they moved right into a rented bedroom in an apartment in Geylang.
The man and the victim’s mother registered their marriage in 2015.
They have 4 other children born between 2005 and 2013.
Sometime between 2010 and 2011, around 2:00 a.m. to three:00 a.m., while the remainder of the family was sleeping within the lounge of the home, the person woke the victim and took him to the kitchen toilet.
He did this knowing that the victim, who was between 11 and 12 years old on the time, was calm by nature and followed his instructions.
The man tried to have sex together with her, but after many attempts he failed. He then sexually assaulted her.
In September 2013, when the victim was 14, the person struck again, molesting her while they were of their bedroom.
When it happened, many of the victim’s half-siblings were watching TV in the identical room.
The victim’s mother was not there.
In April 2014, when the person was imprisoned for separate crimes, the girl realized that the sexual acts he had performed were inappropriate and confided in her mother every part that had happened.
Court documents didn’t specify what crimes the person was currently convicted of.
The girl later fled the house, saying she was too afraid to return home since the man could be released from prison soon, in line with court documents.
The victim’s mother filed a police report in May last 12 months, on the recommendation of a social employee.
In the identical month, the person was arrested.
On Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Daphne Lim applied for a jail sentence of seven years, three months to seven years and five months and nine strokes of the cane.
She testified in court that the person had abused the trust and power that the role of a father gives the victim, and had sexually abused her.
“The man brazenly molested the victim in front of other young children, in her home where she should have been safest,” DPP Lim added.
In mitigation, defense attorney Michelle Tang of Nakoorsha Law said the person had pleaded guilty earlier, which might spare the victim the further pain of testifying in court if the case went to trial.
Tang also said the victim forgave the person for what he did.
District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan said the sentence imposed was proportionate to the person’s criminality.
“It is a reminder that we live in a society that cannot tolerate any form of violence against young and defenseless victims, especially from someone they trust.”
For attempting to rape an individual under 14, the person faced 8 to twenty years in prison and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.
For insulting modesty, he might be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison, a positive, flogging or any combination of those penalties.
