Man sentenced to 29 years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter since she was five years old

SINGAPORE – He began sexually abusing his biological daughter when she was only five or six years old.

The abuse lasted nearly a decade before the now 18-year-old daughter realized that her father’s actions were wrong.

The 51-year-old man was sentenced to a total of 29 years in prison on Tuesday (May 14) after pleading guilty to three counts, including rape and aggravated sexual penetration of his daughter.

A further six charges of a similar nature were taken into account in sentencing.

Since the man is over 50 years old, he cannot be caned. His total sentence is one year in prison instead of a beating.

The prosecution had demanded a prison sentence of at least 30 years, plus an additional year in prison instead of corporal punishment.

To protect their identities, neither the victim nor her father can be named.

Years of abuse

The man began sexually exploiting his daughter when she was between five and six years old by touching her private parts whenever he felt a sexual desire.

As part of his sexual fantasy, the man performed oral sex on his daughter in 2009 when she was nine years old.

In December 2011, during a Christmas sleepover at the man’s sister’s house, the man also touched her private parts and penetrated her through her shorts while she was sleeping. The girl was 11 years old at the time.

The two had unprotected sex for the first time in their apartment in 2012, when the girl was eleven years old. They had sexual acts at least once a month, during which the man also asked his daughter to perform oral sex on him.

In mid-2015, the daughter, who was still attending secondary school at the time, began to dislike her father’s behavior, but she did not reject his advances.

It wasn’t until 2016 that she realized his behavior was wrong, but she didn’t confide in her mother because she feared it would tear the family apart.

The last case of sexual abuse occurred in January 2016.

On May 29, 2017, the daughter revealed her father’s shameful actions to a close friend, who encouraged her to talk to her mother, which the daughter did that same day.

The mother then arranged for her daughter to stay with her aunt. On June 7, 2017, she took her daughter to the police to file a report. The man was arrested the next day.

“The highest degree of perversion”

Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew called for a prison sentence of at least 30 years and described the man’s conduct as “highly perverse and serious”.

“As the father of the young victim, the defendant held a position of near-absolute authority and influence over the victim’s life… However, the defendant blatantly abused his parental relationship and authority by using the victim as a means to satisfy his lascivious desires and showing no regard for her physical integrity and well-being.”

The man’s lawyer, Sherman Ho, appointed by the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, called for 23 years in prison for his client, citing his admission of guilt and his remorse.

“He hopes he can come out and be reunited with his family. He understands that the family has rejected him,” the defense attorney said.

The man has since converted to Christianity and has taken anger management courses in prison, Ho added.

Justice Commissioner Audrey Lim pointed out that this case was a “clear and blatant abuse and breach of trust”.

The judge found that the victim was “particularly in need of protection” and that the crime had lasted a long time.

“Since the victim was exposed to such behavior at the age of five or six, it was not until much later in secondary school that he realized that the defendant’s behavior was wrong,” the judge said.

The judge noted that the man’s guilty plea was a mitigating factor as it spared his daughter “potential embarrassment” by giving evidence in court.

“Although the defendant has pleaded guilty, the acts he committed against his own daughter are clearly and totally reprehensible and deserve a severe punishment,” the judge said.

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