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Married teacher jailed for 27 months over sex with a 15-year-old student
A married male teacher was jailed on Thursday for 27 months for having sex and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old female student several times between June and October 2020.
Passing the sentence in District Court, Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong slammed the defendant L.H.M. for abusing his position as a teacher and plotting the sex crimes carefully. His crimes completely shattered the girl's trust towards adults and men as well, Yau said.
The 35-year-old defendant was earlier convicted of six counts of indecent assault and one count of illegal sexual intercourse with a girl under 16.
The crimes occurred at the defendant's home in Fanling between mid-June and October 12, 2020. The girl "X" was born in December 2004 and was only 15-year-old at that point.
Yau referred to the trauma report of X, who said she felt worthless, and her body was dirty because she failed to protect herself. She also said she had no hope for the future and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Her condition improved initially, but she had suicidal thoughts again after testifying in court, drawing her attention away from the coming Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams.
Yau believed the defendant planned his crime beforehand, for he picked the perfect timing to invite X to his home every time his wife was not home. Yau also pointed out that the defendant is 20 years older than X, and he committed the sex crimes repetitively for an extended period.
X and her family were significantly impacted by the sex crimes, which also violated the trust of the school and students, according to Yau.
Yau continued that the defendant had been expressing his care and feelings for X since December 2019, and X – a young girl entering puberty – soon felt touched by the defendant's affections. The two developed into an intimate relationship and ended up having sex as wished by the defendant, Yau added.
In mitigation, the defense quoted the psychiatrist's report and said the defendant regretted betraying his wife. The defendant also admitted he breached his integrity as a teacher and ignored his position as a teacher.
The report added it is unlikely for the defendant to commit the same crime in the future, while his wife said he remains her partner for life.
Given that the defendant worked hard as a construction worker and actively made up for his relationship with his wife and family, Yau put him behind bars for 27 months.
The 35-year-old defendant was earlier convicted of six counts of indecent assault and one count of illegal sexual intercourse with a girl under 16.
The crimes occurred at the defendant's home in Fanling between mid-June and October 12, 2020. The girl "X" was born in December 2004 and was only 15-year-old at that point.
Yau referred to the trauma report of X, who said she felt worthless, and her body was dirty because she failed to protect herself. She also said she had no hope for the future and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Her condition improved initially, but she had suicidal thoughts again after testifying in court, drawing her attention away from the coming Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams.
Yau believed the defendant planned his crime beforehand, for he picked the perfect timing to invite X to his home every time his wife was not home. Yau also pointed out that the defendant is 20 years older than X, and he committed the sex crimes repetitively for an extended period.
X and her family were significantly impacted by the sex crimes, which also violated the trust of the school and students, according to Yau.
Yau continued that the defendant had been expressing his care and feelings for X since December 2019, and X – a young girl entering puberty – soon felt touched by the defendant's affections. The two developed into an intimate relationship and ended up having sex as wished by the defendant, Yau added.
In mitigation, the defense quoted the psychiatrist's report and said the defendant regretted betraying his wife. The defendant also admitted he breached his integrity as a teacher and ignored his position as a teacher.
The report added it is unlikely for the defendant to commit the same crime in the future, while his wife said he remains her partner for life.
Given that the defendant worked hard as a construction worker and actively made up for his relationship with his wife and family, Yau put him behind bars for 27 months.
