A 72-year-old vegetable seller was sentenced to two years in prison on 2 September 2025. He sexually abused a nine-year-old boy two decades ago. The man used Nintendo Game Boy consoles to lure his victim to his market stall.
The case surfaced when the victim, now 30, accidentally encountered his childhood abuser. He reported the crimes to police on 30 June 2024.
Game Consoles Used as Bait
The abuse happened between 2005 and 2006 at a wet market. The defendant operated his vegetable stall there. He kept several Nintendo Game Boy consoles at his stall. Neighbourhood children were allowed to play with them.
The victim was in Primary Three then. He lived near the market and knew the defendant and his wife. His father had become acquainted with the defendant. The defendant’s youngest son was around the same age as the victim.
The defendant told the boy he could only play on the game console if he stayed at the stall. The victim’s family could not afford gaming devices. He eagerly accepted the offer and visited the stall almost every week.
The sexual abuse began while the boy played games at the stall. The defendant started by touching the victim over his clothes. He then progressed to direct contact under his pants.
Court documents revealed the abuse occurred multiple times. It happened at the market stall, in the defendant’s delivery truck, and at his home. The man forced the victim to lie naked on his bed. He took instant camera photos using a Polaroid camera.
The victim would ask for the photos to be discarded afterward.
Two Decades of Silence
The nine-year-old victim felt uncomfortable but did not know how to resist. He feared the defendant would ban him from playing games if he reacted negatively.
When the boy occasionally rejected the man’s advances, the defendant gave him the cold shoulder. The victim would then beg to be allowed to play on the consoles again.
Around 2008 or 2009, the victim realised what happened was wrong. That was about three years after the abuse ended. He kept silent because he felt ashamed. He feared nobody would believe him.
The victim knew his father had borrowed money from the defendant. He worried reporting the abuse would create awkwardness between the two adults.
The trauma followed him into adulthood. He suffered nightmares about the abuse throughout the years. Medical examination after he made the police report showed post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Court proceedings revealed the defendant had also abused another boy. That child was about seven years old at the time.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
The 72-year-old man pleaded guilty to three out of ten charges he faced. The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
In court, the defendant sought leniency. He explained his wife was elderly and suffered from hearing impairment. She depended on his care. He said she would be left without help at the market stall if he went to prison.
The judge told the man the offences he committed were serious. This was despite the time that had passed.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Tan told the court the defendant had lost track of the number of times he had touched the victim. Too much time had elapsed.
A gag order protects the identities of all those involved in the case.
