Teen with uniform fetish admits to thefts, molesting girls

SINGAPORE - A teenager with a fetish for school uniforms molested two "cute and lovable" girls aged just nine and 11.

Tony Tan Tong Li, 17, admitted to two outrage of modesty offences yesterday, along with eight thefts of school uniforms that his neighbours had left out to dry.

He committed the offences between 2012 and March this year in his Hougang neighbourhood, where he worked in a minimart. His modus operandi in both acts was to approach the girls on the pretext of asking them for help to carry newspapers.

On March 27 this year, he molested the 11-year-old girl at a staircase landing. A passer-by later saw her crying and contacted her school. During investigations, he admitted to touching the nine-year-old girl on March 12 last year. He fled after she screamed for help.

An Institute of Mental Health report, cited by Tony's lawyer, Mr Choo Si Sen, said his client had found the two girls "cute and lovable" and wanted to "play-play" with them in a non-sexual way.

The court heard that Tony's most recent theft was of a Holy Innocents' High School uniform and PE T-shirt.

On Jan 16, he made off with the garments that were hanging outside a Housing Board flat in Hougang Avenue 10. He took the clothes to the top floor of a block of flats, where he masturbated before throwing them away.

He is expected to be sentenced on Aug 29. The court called for reports on his suitability for reformative training and probation. Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Koh said Tony should be sentenced to reformative training, pointing out his acts had increased in severity with time.

The maximum penalty for outraging the modesty of a person under 14 is a five-year jail term, caning, and a fine. For theft, the maximum is three years' prison and a fine.

pohian@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Aug 9, 2014.
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