SINGAPORE - A deliveryman lured a nine-year-old boy into a toilet in a mosque on two separate occasions and both times performed an indecent act on the child.
Muhammad Muzhafar Abdul Latiff, 27, was given a jail sentence of nine months and two weeks on Wednesday (May 22) after pleading guilty to two counts each of theft as well as offences under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The boy was at a mosque on Aug 10 last year when Muzhafar promised to give him a bag of chips if he followed him to a toilet.
The child complied and the deliveryman undressed himself from the waist down after locking the toilet door.
He also told the child to do likewise.
When the boy tried to open the door, Muzhafar said he would hand him the chips if he stayed.
He then touched the boy's private parts once and asked the boy to perform the same act on him.
The court heard that Muzhafar gave the boy a bag of chips after he complied. They then went their separate ways.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Ho said Muzhafar returned to the mosque on Oct 12 that year and spotted the same boy.
Using a similar method, Muzhafar lured the child to a toilet and performed the same indecent act on him.
Separately, Muzhafar was at the void deck of Block 258, Bishan Street 22 on Nov 30 last year when he stole a bicycle worth $108.
About a month later, Muzhafar was at Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 when he stole a $549 mobile phone from a 13-year-old boy.
This was a different mosque to the one where he exploited the nine-year-old boy.
The items have not been recovered and he has made no restitution.
First-time offenders convicted of performing an indecent act on a child can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000 for each charge.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to $20,000.
For each count of theft, Muzhafar could have been jailed for up to three years and fined.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/deliveryman-jailed-for-twice-performing-indecent-act-on-same-boy
Muhammad Muzhafar Abdul Latiff, 27, was given a jail sentence of nine months and two weeks on Wednesday (May 22) after pleading guilty to two counts each of theft as well as offences under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The boy was at a mosque on Aug 10 last year when Muzhafar promised to give him a bag of chips if he followed him to a toilet.
The child complied and the deliveryman undressed himself from the waist down after locking the toilet door.
He also told the child to do likewise.
When the boy tried to open the door, Muzhafar said he would hand him the chips if he stayed.
He then touched the boy's private parts once and asked the boy to perform the same act on him.
The court heard that Muzhafar gave the boy a bag of chips after he complied. They then went their separate ways.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Ho said Muzhafar returned to the mosque on Oct 12 that year and spotted the same boy.
Using a similar method, Muzhafar lured the child to a toilet and performed the same indecent act on him.
Separately, Muzhafar was at the void deck of Block 258, Bishan Street 22 on Nov 30 last year when he stole a bicycle worth $108.
About a month later, Muzhafar was at Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 when he stole a $549 mobile phone from a 13-year-old boy.
This was a different mosque to the one where he exploited the nine-year-old boy.
The items have not been recovered and he has made no restitution.
First-time offenders convicted of performing an indecent act on a child can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000 for each charge.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to $20,000.
For each count of theft, Muzhafar could have been jailed for up to three years and fined.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/deliveryman-jailed-for-twice-performing-indecent-act-on-same-boy
