SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Oct 11) for molesting a stranger after following her home.
Baxter Fan Li Hang, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of outraging the 25-year-old victim’s modesty.
The court heard that Fan, a Malaysian chef, ended his work shift at about 10pm on Aug 29 this year. He took the train from Potong Pasir to Kovan and was walking along Upper Serangoon Road when he saw the victim.
The Malaysian woman was wearing a white skirt and walking on the opposite side of the road, the prosecutor said.
Fan did not know the woman, but decided to follow her as he thought she looked sexy in her skirt, court documents stated.
He crossed the road and followed the victim for 10 to 15 minutes. The woman did not notice him following her as she was listening to music on her earbuds, said the prosecutor.
She reached her home and was opening the gate to her unit when Fan approached her from behind and used both hands to touch her buttocks.
The victim turned around in shock, and Fan hurriedly mumbled “sorry” before walking away.
The victim was frightened and went into her unit instead of pursuing Fan, but as she was talking to her flatmate, she realised there were police cameras outside her unit.
She made a police report. Fan’s actions were captured on police cameras and the footage was played in court. He was identified and arrested two days later.
The prosecutor asked for eight weeks’ jail, saying that Fan following the victim for a significant length of time was aggravating as it shows some premeditation.
“The accused thereafter brazenly outraged the victim’s modesty by touching her buttocks right at her doorstep when she was not fully aware of her surroundings,” said the prosecutor.
She added that Fan showed “no regard for the victim’s personal autonomy” and effectively treated her simply as an object for his sexual gratification because he found her sexy in her skirt.
However, she noted that Fan had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty at the first instance.
For molestation, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given a combination of these punishments.