SINGAPORE: A football coach who initiated free personal training with a 15-year-old girl and later sexually assaulted her was jailed for 33 months on Thursday (Dec 5).
Clifford Tan Guang Wei, 30, pleaded guilty in September to three counts of sexual penetration of a minor. Three other charges were also considered for sentencing.
Since Apr 13, 2023, he has been suspended from the National Registry of Coaches for an indefinite period, according to Sport Singapore.
The court previously heard that Tan was employed as a football coach at an academy, where the victim was enrolled by her mother in early 2023.
The same month the girl joined, Tan started sending her text messages. He offered her free personal training sessions without informing her mother or the academy.
The girl accepted the offer and started meeting Tan at a badminton court near his flat for the sessions. They continued to exchange texts, and Tan also brought her out for dinner and bowling.
In the afternoon of Mar 16, 2023, the girl met Tan for the personal training session. Tan said he had to go back to his flat to get something he had forgotten, and told her to follow him.
The girl followed Tan to his flat, where she realised no one else was at home. Tan said he wanted to take a nap and asked her to follow him to his bedroom.
They were lying on the bed when Tan asked the victim to massage him, which she did. Tan initiated more intimacy, and the victim became uncomfortable and reminded him that she was 15.
Tan said he knew the victim's age but did not care as he was unable to control himself, Deputy Public Prosecutor Santhra Aiyyasamy told the court.
He asked the victim to perform a sexual act on him, and the victim refused. He asked for another sexual act, and the victim relented.
They then returned to the badminton court to continue with the personal training session, and the victim went home after that.
The next day, the girl told a friend what had happened, and the friend advised her to make a police report.
"However, the victim did not lodge any police report as she liked (Tan) and didn't want him to get into trouble," said Ms Santhra.
The girl continued with the personal training sessions and continued going over to Tan's flat whenever he invited her.
On Mar 23, 2023, she met Tan for dinner near his flat, at his invitation. They did not have a personal training session that day. After dinner, Tan invited the victim back to his flat, where no one else was home.
Tan asked the victim to follow him to his bedroom and they engaged in sexual intercourse there, using a contraceptive the victim had brought along with her.
They then watched football on Tan's laptop until Tan's mother returned home, and spent some time together before the victim left the flat.
On Mar 25, 2023, the girl went to the academy for a training session but was informed that it was cancelled due to rain.
Tan told her to follow him to his place to have dinner with his mother, and they took a taxi there. Upon arriving at the flat, the victim realised Tan's mother was not at home.
They had sexual intercourse again in Tan's bedroom. The teen later had dinner with Tan and his mother before leaving the flat.
The victim admitted having a liking for Tan but denied being in a relationship with him, Ms Santhra said.
Tan was 28 at the time of the offences, and knew that the victim was 15 when they engaged in sexual acts, she added.
Court documents did not state how the authorities were alerted to the offences. Tan was arrested on Apr 11, 2023.
Ms Santhra sought 36 to 42 months' imprisonment for Tan, while defence lawyer Amolat Singh asked for 19 months.
The prosecutor said that because of the victim's age, she was in a vulnerable position, and any consent given by her could not be deemed "positive consent".
In sentencing on Thursday, District Judge Christopher Goh said the main consideration was the abuse of trust by Tan as the victim's football coach.
He also said there was premeditation and persistence on Tan's part.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that Tan "set the stage" for the offences by initiating free personal training near his flat and taking the victim out for dinner and other activities, before inviting her to his place.
The punishment for sexual penetration of a minor below 16 is a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine or both.
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Clifford Tan Guang Wei, 30, pleaded guilty in September to three counts of sexual penetration of a minor. Three other charges were also considered for sentencing.
Since Apr 13, 2023, he has been suspended from the National Registry of Coaches for an indefinite period, according to Sport Singapore.
The court previously heard that Tan was employed as a football coach at an academy, where the victim was enrolled by her mother in early 2023.
The same month the girl joined, Tan started sending her text messages. He offered her free personal training sessions without informing her mother or the academy.
The girl accepted the offer and started meeting Tan at a badminton court near his flat for the sessions. They continued to exchange texts, and Tan also brought her out for dinner and bowling.
In the afternoon of Mar 16, 2023, the girl met Tan for the personal training session. Tan said he had to go back to his flat to get something he had forgotten, and told her to follow him.
The girl followed Tan to his flat, where she realised no one else was at home. Tan said he wanted to take a nap and asked her to follow him to his bedroom.
They were lying on the bed when Tan asked the victim to massage him, which she did. Tan initiated more intimacy, and the victim became uncomfortable and reminded him that she was 15.
Tan said he knew the victim's age but did not care as he was unable to control himself, Deputy Public Prosecutor Santhra Aiyyasamy told the court.
He asked the victim to perform a sexual act on him, and the victim refused. He asked for another sexual act, and the victim relented.
They then returned to the badminton court to continue with the personal training session, and the victim went home after that.
The next day, the girl told a friend what had happened, and the friend advised her to make a police report.
"However, the victim did not lodge any police report as she liked (Tan) and didn't want him to get into trouble," said Ms Santhra.
The girl continued with the personal training sessions and continued going over to Tan's flat whenever he invited her.
On Mar 23, 2023, she met Tan for dinner near his flat, at his invitation. They did not have a personal training session that day. After dinner, Tan invited the victim back to his flat, where no one else was home.
Tan asked the victim to follow him to his bedroom and they engaged in sexual intercourse there, using a contraceptive the victim had brought along with her.
They then watched football on Tan's laptop until Tan's mother returned home, and spent some time together before the victim left the flat.
On Mar 25, 2023, the girl went to the academy for a training session but was informed that it was cancelled due to rain.
Tan told her to follow him to his place to have dinner with his mother, and they took a taxi there. Upon arriving at the flat, the victim realised Tan's mother was not at home.
They had sexual intercourse again in Tan's bedroom. The teen later had dinner with Tan and his mother before leaving the flat.
The victim admitted having a liking for Tan but denied being in a relationship with him, Ms Santhra said.
Tan was 28 at the time of the offences, and knew that the victim was 15 when they engaged in sexual acts, she added.
Court documents did not state how the authorities were alerted to the offences. Tan was arrested on Apr 11, 2023.
Ms Santhra sought 36 to 42 months' imprisonment for Tan, while defence lawyer Amolat Singh asked for 19 months.
The prosecutor said that because of the victim's age, she was in a vulnerable position, and any consent given by her could not be deemed "positive consent".
In sentencing on Thursday, District Judge Christopher Goh said the main consideration was the abuse of trust by Tan as the victim's football coach.
He also said there was premeditation and persistence on Tan's part.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that Tan "set the stage" for the offences by initiating free personal training near his flat and taking the victim out for dinner and other activities, before inviting her to his place.
The punishment for sexual penetration of a minor below 16 is a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine or both.
Continue reading...