Going swimming should be a fun and enjoyable experience for children who get to play in the water and escape the hot weather.
However, for an 11-year-old boy, his swimming session became a traumatic experience when he was taken advantage of and molested by an adult.
Engineer Neo Cheok Leong, 47, was sentenced to 24 months’ jail after pleading guilty to one count of outrage of modesty and nine counts of making obscene films.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Neo met the 11-year-old victim, who cannot be named due to a gag order, over YouTube in 2017. They got closer together due to their shared interest in music.
On 13 Sep 2017, Neo invited the victim and one other person for a swimming session at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex.
When they went to shower after their swim, Neo suggested showering in the same cubicle since most cubicles were already occupied.
As they entered the cubicle, the victim said he could bathe on his own, but Neo insisted on showering together, assuring him that he wouldn’t do anything to him.
However, once the victim undressed, Neo hugged him from behind, kissing and molesting him.
According to TODAY, Neo’s offences were uncovered when he was caught taking a photo of a 50-year-old man showering at HomeTeamNS Sembawang clubhouse on 18 Aug 2018.
During police interrogation, he admitted to his crimes, and officers conducted a forensic examination on his phone.
After the examination, they found 50 obscene recordings he made, which primarily consisted of young boys between 2017 and 2018.
Most of his victims were strangers to Neo. The clips were recorded in male public toilets across Singapore, such as Siloso beach and swimming complexes in Bukit Batok and Clementi.
CNA reported that Neo pleaded guilty to one count of outrage of modesty against the 11-year-old and nine counts of making obscene films.
However, 42 more charges, mostly for making obscene films, were considered in his sentencing.
On Tuesday (29 Mar), he was sentenced to 23 months and 4 weeks’ jail and three strokes of the cane.
For the outrage of modesty charge, he could have been jailed up to five years, caned or fined, or any combination of these punishments.
For each charge of making an obscene film, he could have been fined $40,000 or jailed for up to 2 years.
It is deeply concerning to find out that people would prey on the young and vulnerable and film unsuspecting victims for their own sexual gratification without them ever knowing.
Parents and guardians of children are urged to keep a close eye on their children and monitor the relationships they form online.
Hopefully, the victims will receive all the support they need to recover from the psychological impacts of the crime.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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