SINGAPORE — A 36-year-old serial molester with a history of touching women’s feet illegally was charged on Wednesday (April 24) after he allegedly approached a woman at a playground and requested to draw a smiley face on her feet as part of a dare.
While taking photos of his drawing, Tan Boon Hwee allegedly touched the 35-year-old victim’s feet knowing that this was an outrage of her modesty.
At the State Courts on Wednesday, Tan was charged with one count of molest while under a remission order.
Court documents said he allegedly molested the victim at a playground and fitness corner in Ang Mo Kio on the afternoon of April 18, 2024.
This meant that Tan would have breached a basic condition of his remission order from Jan 23 to June 11.
Such orders are issued to prison inmates who display good conduct and behaviour and have served two-thirds of their sentence, and come with conditions stipulating that they do not reoffend.
It was not stated when Tan was released from prison while on remission and which offence he was jailed for.
The name of the victim cannot be published due to a court order protecting her identity.
In April 2022, TODAY reported that Tan was sentenced to two weeks and five days’ jail after being convicted of two charges of molest.
In one of these offences, he had claimed to be a member of a nonexistent charity called the “Barefoot Walking Society” when he molested a woman, whom he had met on dating application Tinder, by caressing the soles of her feet.
Tan had also separately molested another teenage victim by touching her toes and drawing smiley faces on them while pretending to be photographing feet for a fake campaign by the People’s Association to “inspire others”.
The court heard at the time that Tan was sexually aroused by feet.
Tan was also fined S$8,000 for five molestation offences in 2019 and had another two molestation offences settled out of court in 2014.
WHAT HAPPENED
In the latest case, the police said in a statement that the victim was approached by Tan who requested to draw a smiley face on her feet using a marker pen.
The man had also allegedly requested to take photos of his drawing on her feet after, claiming it to be a “part of a dare”, said the statement.
He then allegedly touched the victim’s feet while taking photographs of them. The victim later lodged a police report at around 4.20pm.
Tan was arrested four days later after officers established his identity, and also seized a marker, a mobile phone and two storage devices.
The case will be heard again on May 8.
Those who commit molest can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.
For breaching the remission order, Tan also faces an enhanced sentence of a jail term for the remaining 55 days of the order.
