Man jailed for molesting sleeping sister-in-law
A man who repeatedly molested his sister-in-law while she was asleep was caught after she finally woke up.
The woman, 25, later viewed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a camera in the living room where she had been sleeping and saw him molesting her. She alerted the police the next day.
The private-hire car driver, 28, was yesterday jailed for 14 months after pleading guilty to three molestation charges.
He cannot be named to protect the victim's identity.
In sentencing him, District Judge Marvin Bay said the woman had been "violated" and she "would have presumed herself to be safe in his home".
He added: "I would also note that the accused would not have been brought to account for his acts except by the gumption of the victim to examine the... CCTV, which had captured the accused in the acts."
Deputy Public Prosecutor Esther Wong said the man and his wife shared a flat with the victim and other family members.
DID NOT WAKE UP
After getting ready for work at around 6.30am one day in July 2019, he molested her while she was asleep on a couch. She did not wake up, the court heard.
On Sept 22, 2019, the man returned home at around 4am and molested the sleeping woman again.
He then went to his bedroom but returned minutes later to touch his sister-in-law's breast. She remained asleep and he went back to his bedroom.
The DPP said: "Since he had got away the first two times, he decided to touch the victim's breast again to satisfy his sexual urge."
When she woke up while he was molesting her, he retreated to his room. She went back to sleep but watched the CCTV footage about five hours later and saw what he had done.
The man's bail was set at $15,000, and he was ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on April 8 to begin serving his jail term.
For each count of molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned.
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