14-year-old girl allegedly harassed & stalked by man in Hougang
A 14-year-old girl complained to her mother in tears, saying that she had been harassed by a “weird uncle” on her way to school for the past two months.
The man allegedly said she was pretty and asked for her phone number.
The girl’s mother has since lodged a police report.
Man allegedly followed and harassed girl for 2 months
According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the mother of the girl involved, Ms Wu, 48, a salesperson, said in an interview that her daughter has encountered this strange man every morning since Chinese New Year.
She mentioned that her daughter would run into the man near the playground at Block 531, Hougang Avenue 6.
Source Lianhe Zaobao
The man, upon seeing her, would allegedly follow close behind, complimenting her on her looks and asking for her phone number.
Ms Wu said that her daughter was afraid but chose to remain silent until 26 March, when she finally confided in her mother.
Ms Wu was shocked when she learned about her daughter’s experience and quickly asked if she had been molested.
Her daughter replied that she had not been harmed.
Teen reduced to tears after repeated encounters
“My daughter cried while telling me, and I was terrified by what I heard. We promised to protect her and brought her to the police that same day,” said Ms Wu.
“He would ask my daughter which school she attends and for her phone number. After she refused, he asked for the last four digits of her number, claiming he needed it to buy 4D.”
This man purportedly appears almost daily at the void deck of the block.
He would then follow the girl to the intersection, approaching her two to three times a week to strike up a conversation.
The man involved is reportedly a 62-year-old crane operator called Mr Lin, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Mr Lin works at a construction site nearby and occasionally visits the playground to exercise.
Man says he just wanted to chat
He explained that he only spoke to the girl because he felt that they “got along well.”
“I just thought she was nice to talk to and cracked a few jokes. I know she’s underage, so I wouldn’t act inappropriately, and I didn’t stalk or harass her,” said Mr Lin to reporters.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
He said that if the girl feels uncomfortable with his behaviour, she can tell him directly.
He also welcomes her parents to contact him for a conversation.
“This is the first time I’ve encountered something like this. I won’t talk to her again and will no longer casually speak to young girls in the future,” added Mr Lin.
Mother now escorts harassed girl daily
Ms Wu now accompanies her daughter daily when going out and teaches her how to adjust the timing and route to school in order to avoid the “weird uncle.”
“There were a few times after I dropped my daughter off when I saw the man sitting near the playground, looking around,” she said.
“My daughter also said she had seen him at the playground waiting for her when she took the bus. I wasn’t too worried as she doesn’t have a fixed time for finishing class.”
Ms Wu said that she sought advice from a friend, who helped to post about the incident and the man’s photo on Facebook.
By doing so, she hoped to raise public awareness and warn the individual involved.
Mr Lin responded by saying that he had not committed any crime and that the other party should not have made his photo public.
He felt that his reputation had been damaged and thus called the police on Tuesday (8 April).
Family of man urged him to make a police report
“I only found out about the photo after my friend informed me. If they had any issues, they should have spoken to me directly,” said Mr Lin.
“I have a family; my children are in their twenties and thirties, and I have a grandson who is one to two years old. My wife and children urged me to report this to the police.”
In response to queries from MS News, the police confirmed that reports were lodged and that investigations are ongoing.
Ms Wu did not accept Mr Lin’s explanation, believing that even if he only wanted to befriend her daughter, it was still inappropriate, especially waiting downstairs every day.
She hopes that he will stop his actions immediately and said she will remove the post at a later date.
Also read: Ex JC teacher calls 4 underaged girls ‘wives’ & ‘sex toys’, molests 1 at NEX food court
Ex JC teacher calls 4 underaged girls ‘wives’ & ‘sex toys’, molests 1 at NEX food court
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
