Music producer and former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim, 61, was sentenced to 13 months’ jail on Nov 18 for molesting a 25-year-old woman.
The incident happened at the Hype Records office in Henderson Road on Nov 23, 2021, when he was the executive director of the record company. Following a trial, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng convicted him of a molestation charge in September.
The victim’s details cannot be disclosed owing to a gag order.
On Nov 18, the prosecution, without revealing any details, made an application for Lim’s five remaining charges to be withdrawn. These charges related to allegations of improper behaviour involving three other women.
Judge Lee then granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these five charges.
The prosecution had withdrawn the charges under Section 147(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code and has the discretion to revive and proceed against Lim on those charges if his conviction is set aside on appeal.
The molestation case involved a work-related interview at Lim’s office.
The victim had said that she met Lim three times, adding that he made suggestive comments at the second and third meetings.
She also said Lim had asked her if she would perform a sex act on a director and have sex with someone “to bring about change”.
The woman added that she was molested during their third meeting, and that it happened after Lim asked her to kiss him. She did so but felt disgusted after doing it.
She told the court that Lim asked her to kiss him again – this time with more passion. The woman said that as they kissed, he touched her chest.
The woman later shared details of the incident with her boyfriend at the time and a female friend, who both testified in court.
The female friend said the woman had described the interview with Lim as “quite traumatic”. The friend said she was told that Lim had forced the victim to kiss him.
In earlier proceedings, the friend told Judge Lee: “He also said that he wanted to tie her up... She just seemed very traumatised by what had happened and very disgusted that she was forced to do things that she didn’t want to do.”
Lim, who was represented by a team led by Senior Counsel (SC) Tan Chee Meng, denied molesting the woman.
SC Tan told the court that his client will be appealing against his conviction and sentence.
In a statement on Nov 18, the defence team said: “Mr Lim is understandably disappointed with the outcome of the proceedings.”
In 2024, Lim fought off allegations involving a different woman in a separate trial.
She had accused him of making sexual comments while they were at Hype Records’ premises on July 25, 2012. After a trial, District Judge Wong Peck acquitted him in December 2024.
For molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments. However, Lim cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
