Man, 76, molests teenage girls at multiple eateries
Shaffiq Alkhatib for The Straits Times
An elderly man, who was given a 12-month conditional warning in August 2021 for offences including molestation, outraged a 41-year-old woman's modesty in October 2022, shortly after the warning expired.
In 2023 and 2024, Lim See Poi - who claimed to be a former teacher - also molested four girls between 12 and 17 years old on different occasions at multiple eateries.
Lim, now 76, pleaded guilty on March 11 to five molestation charges. Eight other charges will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced on March 18.
A conditional warning issued by the authorities comes with conditions that an individual has to comply with for a specified period. Court documents did not disclose the conditions previously imposed on Lim.
The court heard that the recalcitrant offender previously received two 12-month conditional warnings.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Adelle Tai said that in April 2019, police administered the first conditional warning on Lim for molestation.
However, he breached the warning and was charged in October 2020 with offences including multiple counts of molestation.
On Aug 19, 2021, Lim received another 12-month conditional warning, and on the next day, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in relation to these charges.
This means he could still be prosecuted for the crimes if relevant information or evidence were to emerge later.
When the second warning expired, he returned to a life of crime and targeted the 41-year-old woman near Aljunied MRT station on Oct 12, 2022.
The woman, identified as V1, was standing at a traffic light when Lim asked her to have sex with him.
When she rejected his advances, he moved his body in a lewd manner and grabbed her chest. V1 then smacked Lim's left shoulder and hit him with her slipper.
She alerted the police, and Lim was arrested that day and then released on bail.
He struck again on June 27, 2023 when he approached a 13-year-old girl, identified as V2, in a Hougang fast food restaurant and told her that he used to teach mathematics at a school.
DPP Tai said: "The accused then told V2 that she could be his wife or girlfriend, as his wife had died. He also told V2 that while he may be old, he was strong...V2 wanted to leave as she felt disgusted by the accused's words."
Lim then molested the girl, who told her father about what had happened. Officers arrested Lim on June 30, 2023, before releasing him on bail again.
On Sept 20, 2023, four other girls, identified as V3 to V6, were at a Serangoon Central food court when Lim joined them at their table.
DPP Tai said: "The accused then started to make jokes about the Ministry of Education and the government, and stated that he could no longer teach as he was too old."
He then insulted their modesty by saying: "If you all were my wives, my life would be good. You all are my sex toys."
Pointing at the four girls, who were then 12 and 13 years old, he called them his "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday wives".
He then molested V3. V4 made a police report and Lim was arrested on Sept 25, 2023.
He was released on bail yet again on Dec 21 that year.
Undeterred, Lim offended again on Oct 23, 2024, when he approached a 12-year-old girl, identified as V7, who was eating at a Hougang shopping mall with two friends.
He struck up a conversation with them before asking V7 if she would be his wife.
He then molested the child, who told her form teacher and mother about her ordeal. The police were alerted soon after.
A week later, a 17-year-old girl, identified as V8, was at a Serangoon Central eatery when Lim approached her.
He told her that he used to teach mathematics at a junior college and then molested the teenager, who screamed at him.
Police arrested Lim on Oct 31, 2024, and he has been in remand since then.
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