Youth worker sexually abused 15-year-old former resident of care home, gets jail

SINGAPORE: A man who worked at a home for children and youth in need of protection sexually abused a 15-year-old girl who had previously stayed there. The pair began a romantic relationship after she left the home.In mitigation, the man said that he was also a victim and claimed that he was "gaslighted" by the victim, who led him on. The 31-year-old Singaporean man, who was not represented by a lawyer, was sentenced on Thursday (Oct 29) to two-and-a-half years' jail.He pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a minor. Another five charges were taken into consideration.He cannot be named due to a court order protecting the victim's identity, which covers his name and the name of the home where the girl stayed.THE CASEThe man was 27 years old at the time of the offence and worked in an Interim Placement and Assessment Centre overseeing male residents. He had joined the centre as a youth worker in April 2021.An Interim Placement and Assessment Centre is a residential facility providing temporary care for children and youth under the Ministry of Social and Family Development's Child Protective Service.The victim was 15 and was placed in the centre because of a report of family violence, where she was a victim.The pair knew each other at the centre, although the man's duties did not formally involve her.They interacted when the male and female residents played games together, with staff members involved.In February 2022, the victim was moved to another home. She wrote farewell cards to staff members at the centre, including the offender.In her note to him, she included her contact details and gave him the note personally because she had a crush on him, the court heard.The offender then contacted her in March 2022 and they began chatting regularly. This was despite the man knowing that he should not contact a resident or former resident of the centre.In April 2022, the pair met in person. The man, who had a second job as a private-hire driver with Grab, picked up the girl from school and drove her to a car park where they talked and held hands.He asked her to be his girlfriend and she agreed. After this, they met more often, with the man occasionally molesting the girl.He also took her to his home where he performed a sex act on her.In May 2022, he also asked the girl to engage in a sex act with him in a car. Although she did not really want to do so, she agreed because she felt that she loved him, the prosecution said.The couple had sex at the man's house on May 25, 2022.The offences came to light when a staff member at the home noticed the girl wearing an army administrative T-shirt that did not belong to her.On questioning, she eventually admitted that she was in a relationship with the offender, who worked at the place where she was previously housed.The man came to know of the allegations and resigned."I'M ALSO A VICTIM"Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng sought 30 to 36 months' jail, saying that the man had taken advantage of the victim's crush on him and pressured her into various sex acts.In mitigation, the man said that he had been "having a difficult time in this relationship"."I think I was being manipulated most of the time," he added. "I was constantly being gaslighted."Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that causes someone to question their own understanding of events.The man said that he felt pressured to take the lead in the relationship, while interpreting the victim's behaviour as cues about what she wanted.He also claimed that in the first few weeks of their relationship, she initiated sexual conversations and "dirty talks". He felt that he was "constantly being led" because "this kind of topics means we are trying to lead somewhere".He said he slowly gave in and tried to be "the cool boyfriend"."Even during the intercourse itself, I wasn't even confident in doing the intercourse," he said.The man said he felt like he was also a victim and had been very hurt."During the entire relationship, I was constantly buying things for her," he added. "And sometimes, she didn't reply me, she played games with her own friend, so I got a lot of psychological trauma as well."Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng then asked the offender about a part of the statement of facts where he made the victim perform a sex act.The man acknowledged this, but said that the victim was always boasting about her tongue piercing and how it felt."I was saying like, since you said, why not I just accept," he added.In response, Mr Ng from the prosecution said that the offender was essentially blaming the victim for his own conduct."Taking into consideration that he was 12 years older than the victim, the victim was still young and impressionable, that is precisely why the law gives protection to persons under 16," Mr Ng added."We accept that they were in a romantic relationship, but it is entirely inappropriate that they were in a romantic relationship in the first place."Judge Lee said the offender knew that the victim was a vulnerable young person and, as a mature adult, should not have contacted the victim and initiated a romantic relationship that eventually became sexual.She agreed that the man's mitigation showed a lack of remorse and insight into his offending.For sexual penetration of a minor, he could have been jailed for up to 10 years or fined, or both.