The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of a sexual offender who took advantage of three students while he was a school teacher.
The appellant, 27, pleaded guilty on July 20, 2022 to three charges of outraging the modesty of his victims, one aged six and the other two aged seven. He was caught after one of the victims told her parents, which led to a police investigation. The appellant contended that the sentence is “too long”, considering his guilty plea and previously clear record.
Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, along with Justices Conrad Seagroatt and Edward Timothy Starbuck Woolley, noted that the sentencing judge considered a deterrent sentence was necessary having regard to the repulsive nature of the appellant’s acts; the young age of the victims, and the offences were committed “openly” in the classroom.
The Court of Appeal said, “This was an egregious violation of trust by the appellant being the teacher of the victims. The aggravating factors collectively warranted a severe sentence.
“First, the sexual assaults were of a serious nature. Second, the victims were young and vulnerable girls. Third, the victims were targeted by the appellant. Fourth, the sexual assaults occurred in the classroom during a lesson when the victims should have been safe,” the court pondered.
“In the circumstances, notwithstanding the appellant’s guilty plea and clear record, we find no arguable basis for contending that the sentence is too harsh,” the court stated on dismissing the application. – Fadley Faisal
