A former Voluntary Special Constabulary (VSC) officer, who sexually abused an intellectually disabled youth, was sentenced to five years in jail yesterday.
Koon Kok Wai, 53, had also molested the then 17-year-old after a swim while they were in a toilet cubicle of a swimming complex on an earlier occasion.
Another charge of molesting the youth was taken into consideration in sentencing.
The offences occurred in June 2014, less than a month after Koon got to know the victim while attending to a case of a boy who was creating trouble on May 29.
Koon was in uniform and on duty as a VSC sergeant at the time. He obtained personal details, including the mobile number from the youth, who is autistic and mentally retarded.
A few days later, Koon befriended the youth by calling and meeting him on a number of occasions, at the latter’s block and at a nearby community centre. On June 12, he told the boy to meet him at a swimming complex and molested him in the toilet cubicle. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lin Yinbing said the victim did not like Koon touching him.
In mid-June, the youth was alone at home when Koon paid him a visit. He told the teenager to go to his bedroom and he followed suit. Koon then sexually abused the victim.
He later told him not to tell his mother that he had visited.
DPP Lin said the youth subsequently told his mother that Koon was “crazy”. He revealed that Koon had behaved inappropriately towards him. She later took him to make a police report.
In her submissions on sentence, the DPP said this was a case in which a VSC officer had abused his power by using information privy to him to exploit a vulnerable member of the public.
The offences were pre-meditated.
Koon had breached the trust of the youth and had taken advantage of someone who was so vulnerable and defenceless against him.
Pleading for leniency, Koon’s lawyer A. Ravidass said his client was remorseful.
He comes from a humble background and had been with the VSC since 2006. Koon was allowed to defer his sentence until June 1 to bring forward a medical review.
He could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined for sexual penetration, and jailed up to two years and fined for outrage of modesty.
elena@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 26, 2016.
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