SINGAPORE: A massage therapist at a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic in Tanjong Pagar was jailed for a year and handed three strokes of the cane on Friday (Mar 21) for molesting a female customer.
Tan Lok Kiang, a 31-year-old Malaysian, earlier pleaded guilty to one of three counts of molestation. The remaining charges, which involve him touching the same victim on other parts of her body, were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
The victim’s details, such as her age and name, cannot be revealed due to a gag order.
Tan was a massage therapist at Sin Kang TCM’s 100AM outlet at the time of the incident.
According to court documents, the victim visited the clinic on Dec 22, 2022, for an hour of body massage at midday.
She was assigned to Tan as the therapist she requested was unavailable.
In the massage room, the victim removed her clothes and undergarments and put on a pair of white shorts before lying face down on the treatment bed. She covered herself with a towel before Tan entered the room.
About half an hour into the massage, Tan told the victim to remove her shorts before he left the room.
Feeling puzzled, the woman did as requested and lay back down on her stomach, covering herself with the towel.
The massage continued with Tan subsequently asking the victim to turn over.
As he massaged her inner thighs, his hands touched her private parts at least once, shocking the victim and leaving her traumatised.
Court documents did not state how the victim came to report the incident.
The offence of molest carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine and caning.
