He sexually abuses girl, 10, then gives her $2

He sexually abuses girl, 10, then gives her $2

He befriended the 10-year-old, even giving her money on occasion.

But Jashim Uddin Hanif Ali, 31, a Bangladeshi national, had an ulterior motive.

Leading her to a staircase landing, he committed an obscene act on her and even gave her $2 after sexually abusing her a second time.

On Thursday, Jashim sobbed openly in court after he admitted to taking advantage of the child.

Jashim, a construction worker, was involved in the lift upgrading work of some HDB blocks in the west, between December 2011 and January last year.

It was during this period that he befriended the girl - who cannot be named due to a gag order - as she was often seen walking home alone from her primary school nearby.

One afternoon last January, he saw her going home.

He approached her and told her to follow him. She did as he asked because she was afraid he might hurt her if she did not comply.

Jashim then took her to a 10th-storey staircase landing at a nearby HDB block.

There, he removed her school shorts and his own pants, before sexually abusing her.

He then told the girl to head home and to shower immediately.

But he wasn't done with her.

Several days later, he again saw her walking home alone and told her to meet him at the same staircase landing.

Fearful, she went and he repeated the act on her.

When he was done, he gave her $2 and told her to go home. The girl took the money but left it at the void deck.

ASHAMED

After pleading guilty on Thursday, Jashim, with his head bowed, said he was remorseful and ashamed of what he had done.

He then wailed uncontrollably as he spoke of his mother's heart problems.

In between sobs, he said: "My family asked why I have not been sending them money but I could not tell them why."

District Judge Jasbender Kaur had to adjourn proceedings for about 20 minutes for Jashim to regain his composure.

When the case resumed, he clasped his hands, pressed them against his forehead and begged for a lenient sentence so that he can return home to support his family.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Elizabeth Chua asked for a deterrent sentence of 12 months' imprisonment for each charge.

Jashim will be back in court on Oct 31 for sentencing.


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