Some two decades ago, a young boy was sexually assaulted by a 50-year-old stall owner in Singapore, who lured him with the promise of getting to play a video game console.
Back in 2005, the man (Michael, pseudonym) called the victim (who was around 9 years old at the time) over to his stall where he was working and said he could play the console if he hung around there, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
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The boy suffers from nightmares caused by the trauma
Since the boy’s (Kevin, pseudonym) family couldn’t afford a game console, he was overjoyed when Michael offered him one and began visiting Michael’s stall frequently to play, where he was repeatedly groped. Eventually, Michael moved away and disappeared.
Now 30 years old, Kevin still suffers from nightmares caused by the trauma. Years later, a chance encounter with Michael brought all the painful memories back.
Wanting to stop others from going through the same thing, Kevin finally gathered the courage to lodge a police report 20 years after the abuse.
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In court, it came to light that Kevin kept quiet for years because he felt ashamed and worried no one would believe him.
Now 72 years old, Michael faced 10 charges under the Children and Young Persons Act.
Court documents revealed that Kevin lived near the market where Michael worked and often dropped by, which is how he got to know Michael and his wife. Kevin’s father also knew Michael, and Michael’s youngest son was about the same age as Kevin.
Michael owned a few Game Boy consoles that he’d let local kids play. But whenever Kevin pushed back against his advances, he would give Kevin the cold shoulder and refuse to let him play.
Feeling indebted and eager to keep access to the console, Kevin eventually gave in to Michael’s indecent acts.
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Michael was sentenced to 2 years in jail
Investigations revealed that between 2005 and 2006, Michael repeatedly molested Kevin in his truck and at his home.
The court was also told that Michael sometimes made Kevin lie naked on a bed while he took nude Polaroid photos.
The indictment further stated that Michael also assaulted another boy, who was around seven years old at the time.
Years later, after reporting the abuse, Kevin was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress symptoms, though doctors said it didn’t amount to a full disorder.
On September 2 (Tuesday), Michael pleaded guilty to three charges. Taking the remaining charges into consideration, the judge sentenced him to two years in prison.
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