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Taxi driver gets 11 months' jail for molesting 14-year-old male passenger
- Ong Tong Chye, 62, was sentenced to 11 months' jail for touching a boy inappropriately
- He pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force to outrage another person's modesty
- Ong committed the offence while driving a taxi with the boy as his passenger
SINGAPORE — While driving a young passenger to his destination in the wee hours, a taxi driver groped and touched a 14-year-old boy several times despite the teen repeatedly rejecting his advances.
Ong Tong Chye, 62, was sentenced to 11 months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of using criminal force to outrage another person's modesty.
The victim and a second 14-year-old boy were in a "romantic relationship" at the time, court documents stated.
Sometime before 1.04am on Jan 28 in 2021, Ong accepted a booking request made by the other 14-year-old on a ride-hailing mobile application.
He picked the pair up from Westgate Mall in Jurong East and they got into the back seat of the taxi.
During the drive, the three engaged in casual conversation before the other 14-year-old was dropped off first.
Alone in the taxi, Ong and the victim continued chatting and began to speak about topics related to homosexuality.
Sometime later, Ong stopped the taxi and asked the victim to move to the front passenger seat, which he did.
During their conversation, Ong said that he wanted to touch the victim's hand but the boy rejected his request.
Ignoring him, Ong started stroking the victim's right hand while driving.
Even after the boy pushed him away, Ong did not relent. He then said that he wanted to touch the victim's nipples.
Again, the victim said "no" but Ong proceeded to molest him.
The boy leaned away and onto the car door while trying to push Ong's hand away.
Ong then molested him another time, groping him over his pants.
He did all of these while driving, court documents stated.
When the taxi finally arrived at the second destination, the victim shouted that he wanted to return home and gave a false phone number so that he could alight from the taxi.
It was only then that Ong allowed the victim to leave his taxi.
The same day, the victim told his form teacher about the incident and was taken to a police centre to lodge a report.
Court documents did not say which taxi company Ong hired his taxi from.
For using criminal force with the intent to outrage modesty, Ong could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
