Jail for elderly Singapore man who molested two teen boys on public transport


Ambrose Lee, 72, pleaded guilty on Jan 21 to one count of saying words intended to insult the modesty of a person, and one count of outrage of modesty. - ST

SINGAPORE: An elderly man who molested two teenage boys, aged 15 and 18, in separate incidents on public transport, was sentenced to three weeks’ jail.

Ambrose Lee, 72, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jan 21) to one count of saying words intended to insult the modesty of a person, and one count of outrage of modesty. Two other similar charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Details of the two victims cannot be disclosed due to a gag order protecting their identities.

The court heard about the incident on May 17, 2023, involving Lee and the 18-year-old victim.

At about 10am that day, the adolescent boarded a bus on his way to school and sat at the window seat. He was wearing his school uniform.

Lee later boarded the bus and sat beside the victim, though there were other empty seats.

The elderly man made small talk with the teen and asked for his name, to which the victim gave a fake one.

Lee then asked him questions which insulted his modesty, such as asking if he wanted a massage. The boy said no.

A few moments later, Lee used his hand to touch and repeatedly squeeze the victim’s thigh twice.

When the teenager felt uncomfortable and moved out of his seat, Lee held the boy’s waist with his hand as he moved past him.

Closed-circuit television footage from the bus, which was played in court, showed Lee molesting the victim. At least five people were seated around them but they did not seem to notice the crime.

The victim made a police report on the same day.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Qi Shuen asked for Lee to be jailed between four and five weeks, adding that he had molested another victim days after the first incident.

At about 11.25am on May 20, 2023, while on the train between the City Hall and Ang Mo Kio MRT stations, Lee asked a 15-year-old boy if he had reached puberty yet.

Lee then used his finger to draw circles on the boy’s thigh, according to charge sheets.

In mitigation, Lee’s lawyer, James Gomez Jovian Messiah, said his client, who is married with a daughter, is a “very family-oriented individual”.

“(Lee’s) wife and his relatives have shown unwavering support in ensuring he is rehabilitated,” said Gomez, adding that his client has not re-offended since.

The lawyer noted his client’s age and his various medical conditions as mitigating factors, and asked for him to be given at most three weeks’ jail.

Before handing down the sentence, Deputy Principal District Judge Kessler Soh said he considered the man’s age and that this was his first offence.

Judge Soh also arranged for Lee to see a court counsellor, and allowed the elderly man to start serving his sentence after Chinese New Year as he wished to spend time with his family. - The Straits Times/ANN

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