7-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) In a recent court ruling, a former teacher from a prominent school in Singapore has been sentenced to 54 days’ jail for exposing pornographic material to a teenage student. The 49-year-old offender, whose identity is protected by a gag order along with the details of the school, pleaded guilty to the charge of showing sexual material to the 17-year-old student. Another charge of possessing over 1,000 obscene video files was considered during the sentencing.
The incident occurred when the student, feeling ostracized and purposeless, contemplated skipping school. Seeking help for her son, the student’s mother reached out to the teacher, who had been the boy’s form teacher since 2020.
Upon noticing the student’s withdrawn demeanor, the teacher engaged in a conversation with him, during which the student confided in having negative thoughts and engaging in self-harm. Subsequently, the teacher provided his phone number to the student, suggesting they save it under a different name to maintain discretion.
Further communication ensued through text messages, with the teacher falsely claiming to the student’s mother that he had obtained permission from the school to handle the boy independently. In February 2021, the teacher took the student to a consultation area within the school and discussed coping mechanisms for emotions, including suggesting that males of the student’s age had only two ways to destress – “medication and masturbation.” This made the student uncomfortable.
The teacher then began posing sexual questions to the student and shared links to pornographic websites. A few days later, he invited the student to his flat, where he continued discussing pornographic material and shared his personal experiences with sex workers. Throughout the encounter, the teacher plied the student with alcohol, persisted in asking sexual questions, and showed him explicit videos. The student felt uneasy but was only provided transportation home an hour later to allow the smell of alcohol to dissipate.
Upon returning home, the student realized the impropriety of the teacher’s actions and promptly informed his mother. The matter was escalated to school authorities, leading to the teacher’s resignation and the filing of a police report.
During the trial, the teacher expressed genuine concern for the student’s well-being but admitted to crossing boundaries due to his own depression and loneliness. Mental health assessments confirmed his conditions, including major depressive disorder and benzodiazepine use disorder, but determined that they were not the cause of his offenses.
In court, the prosecution argued for a three-month jail sentence, highlighting the teacher’s abuse of trust, manipulation of the student’s vulnerability, and encouraging of inappropriate behavior. However, they acknowledged the absence of prior convictions and the teacher’s genuine care for his students’ welfare as mitigating factors.
The judge ultimately sentenced the former teacher to 54 days’ jail. The offense of exposing a teenager to pornographic material while in a position of trust carries a maximum penalty of one year’s imprisonment, a fine, or both.
