Doctor in underage sex case could lose licence

Doctor in underage sex case could lose licence

A gynaecologist who had sex with an underage girl 47 years his junior is not only looking at jail time but may also lose his medical licence.

The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) yesterday did not dismiss the possibility of disciplinary action against Ong Theng Kiat, 63, who runs two private clinics, at Gleneagles Medical Centre and Tanjong Katong Road.

A spokesman told The Straits Times the council "is aware of this matter and will await the court's final judgment, including the sentencing, before taking further action".

Ong, who faced 13 charges and pleaded guilty to two counts of sex with a minor on Tuesday, is due back in court on Nov 11.

The Medical Registration Act allows the council to refer a medical practitioner to a disciplinary tribunal if he has been convicted of an offence that implies "a defect in character which makes him unfit to practise medicine".

The medical watchdog can strike a doctor off the register, impose a fine of up to $10,000 and suspend the doctor for up to three years.

Ong, who obtained his medical degree in 1975, is said to have stopped practising since July this year. But he remains on the SMC's register of doctors.

He met the victim on a dating site in 2011 and knew she was only 14 years old.

The court heard he made her take two morning-after pills to prevent pregnancy after they had unprotected sex at the Balestier Hotel. The widower also took her to Bukit Brown cemetery for trysts in the back of his car, and lied about his age, telling her he was 40 and worked in stocks.

A psychiatrist report presented in court said that Ong suffered from depression after the death of his wife in 2011, which could have hampered his judgment.

For each count of having sex with a minor, he can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

chpoon@sph.com.sg


Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.