Teacher 'used student as sexual plaything'

A teacher who headed his school's character and citizenship department had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student right up to two weeks before his wedding last year.

The teaching scholarship holder, now 33, robbed the girl of her innocence and used her as his sexual plaything, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy told a court yesterday.

Then, he left the girl depressed and suicidal after marrying his fiancee in May last year.

The DPP said it was a worrying trend that five teachers had been convicted of having sex with their students last year. She is seeking a minimum six-year jail sentence for the man, who cannot be named to protect the girl.

Now jobless, he admitted to five out of 10 sex-related charges.

The court heard that the man was the girl's form teacher in 2011 and taught her English literature the following year.

After an overseas school trip in 2012, the girl began confiding in him about her family and struggles with her studies.

They exchanged messages on WhatsApp and Facebook, which became increasingly personal, before he began engaging her in conversation of a sexual nature.

She even sent him nude pictures at his request. The court heard that they had sex eight times, often unprotected.

The man led a double life, because he was also physically intimate with his fiancee all this time, the court heard.

The DPP said he would drive the girl to secluded locations, check into a budget hotel or take her to his parents' Kensington Park flat when they were away.

Once, he had sex with her after she lost a bet to him.The court heard that the girl began to diet and became self-conscious about her looks.

After the teacher was married, she sank into depression, scratching herself until she bled and having suicidal thoughts.

"The victim experienced intense and prolonged psychological distress, feelings of disgust, guilt, shame and self-blame, strong intrusive memories of the acts and poor sleep with nightmares," said Ms Uthrapathy.

The former top student even climbed out of a sixth-floor window with suicidal thoughts. She was admitted to hospital last November, and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, post- traumatic stress and anorexia.

She is currently on a high dosage of anti-depressants and receiving individual psychotherapy.

The offences came to light when she told therapists what happened, and her father lodged a police report on Feb 6 this year.

The DPP urged the court to "send an unequivocal signal to all educators that engaging in sexual activities with students... will be met with the harshest of penal consequences".

Ms Uthrapathy argued that this case was the most aggravated of its kind to date due to the serious psychiatric and medical problems caused to the victim.

Defence lawyer Roy Neighbour said his client had made a serious error of judgment, was deeply remorseful and had apologised to the victim and to her family.

Community Court Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan postponed sentencing to June 30.

The man faces up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine for each charge of having sex with a person under 16. For committing an obscene act, he could be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.

This article was first published on June 18, 2014.
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