By Amanda Yong

THEY met while he was performing at a National Day carnival.

The 12-year-old was enchanted by Soh Song Soon, 68, a freelance magician, and wanted to learn magic tricks from him.

They became so close that the boy addressed him as his godfather.

Then, less than a year later, Soh began sexually abusing the boy at his flat.

And if wasn't for a resident living in the opposite block, his vile acts might not have come to light.

On 16 Aug last year, the resident, a 26-year-old woman, called the police after she spotted Soh walking naked around his flat in Ang Mo Kio.

The police found the boy inside the flat and Soh confessed that he had performed oral sex on him.

Yesterday, Soh pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual penetration of a minor.

Fifteen similar charges will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

The court heard that Soh met the boy and his father at the carnival in Ang Mo Kio in August 2007.

After his performance, Soh offered to teach the boy magic tricks, and his father gave his permission.

From then on, the boy went to Soh's flat on weekends and would sometimes stay overnight. He became Soh's assistant and followed him to various performances.

At around 10.40pm on 16 Aug last year, the woman called the police about a man 'walking around the house totally naked' in the opposite block.

When police officers arrived at her unit, she took them to her kitchen window, which overlooked Soh's unit.

They saw a naked boy squatting in front of the naked Soh. They headed to Soh's flat where he opened the door clad in a pair of black shorts.

Soh told the officers that he was alone at home, but one officer heard the sound of a door closing inside the flat.

He asked to go inside and found the boy, wearing only a pair of long black pants, in a bedroom.

Soh denied having done anything to the boy when questioned, but eventually admitted that he had performed oral sex on the boy.

Earlier that day, the boy had assisted Soh at his magic show at a condominium in Tanjong Rhu. They then went for dinner and watched a movie before returning to Soh's flat at 10pm.

After they showered separately, Soh sexually abused the boy.

Court papers revealed that Soh had started abusing the boy barely a year after they first met.

According to court papers, Soh lavished gifts of toys, clothes and school shoes on the boy. He also gave the boy pocket money periodically and treated the boy to meals regularly.

In July last year, using his own handphone camera, Soh took naked pictures of the boy.

Dr Cai Yiming, senior consultant psychiatrist of the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), who interviewed the boy, said he was 'capable of knowing the nature of these acts but did not fully realise the consequences of the alleged offence'.

Dr Cai added that he has arranged for the boy to receive counselling from a psychologist at IMH.

The hearing was adjourned to a later date. For committing sexual penetration of a minor, Soh can be jailed for 20 years and caned on each charge.

This article was first published in The New Paper.