SINGAPORE: A 54-year-old American man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison in Singapore for the horrific crime of raping his own daughter, who was only 11 years old at the time of the assault.
The man’s girlfriend Albao, a 33-year-old Filipino domestic helper, was also handed a 22-year sentence for instigating the acts.
The court heard that the couple met on Tinder in early 2022 and had regular sexual encounters. They also exchanged explicit messages, including inappropriate discussions about potential acts involving future children and pets.
On Mar 17, 2023, Albao allegedly encouraged the man to take a compromising photo of his daughter, leading him to suggest that his daughter could perform certain acts to win a “bet.”
This ended in the man filming his daughter engaging in sexual acts. He ultimately raped her while she slept.
Since her parents separated in 2019, the victim had been living with her father on weekends and spending weekdays with her mother. It wasn’t until two months after the assault that she mustered the courage to confide in her form teacher.
The police devised a plan to apprehend the man by notifying him that his daughter and her mother were at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The man became suspicious after receiving the call, and he instructed Albao to delete her WhatsApp profile photo, which featured the two of them committing a sexual act. He also told her to delete the footage of the assault on his daughter.
The man was arrested at KKH, and his girlfriend was arrested the next day, with police finding 20 videos and 43 photos documenting the sexual abuse on her phone.
During questioning, the man claimed he had memory loss due to undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and alcoholism, but a psychiatric evaluation contradicted his claims. The court heard that the man understood the nature and wrongfulness of his actions.
The court also heard that the assault had left lasting damage on the victim, who has since struggled with insomnia, suicidal thoughts, and a fear of men. She has exhibited self-harming behaviours and found it difficult to trust others.
On Oct 27, the man was sentenced to 24 years for three counts of statutory rape and one count of perverting the course of justice, with 12 additional charges considered in his sentencing. Albao was sentenced to 22 years for her role in instigating the abuse.
Both sentences included an alternative term in lieu of caning, as the man is over 50 years old and Albao, being female, is not subject to corporal punishment.
