'Paedophilic' school bus driver preyed on kids, including autistic boy and multiple girls

SINGAPORE – A paedophilic driver committed sexual offences involving multiple children, including an autistic boy and a girl who was an alleged victim of physical abuse.

Separately, Gary Alexander Tan, now 68, molested a friend's child while her mother was asleep nearby. He also befriended maids, including one whom he later persuaded to send him sexually explicit pictures of her employer's young daughter and son.

Tan, who is married with three adult children, pleaded guilty on Monday to six charges, including multiple counts of molestation.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En said: "The accused is the stereotypical nightmare of any parent who has a young child.

"Behind the facade of a cheerful, kindly and garrulous elderly bus driver hid the insatiable lust of a depraved sexual predator."

Tan started his crime spree in 2006 when he spent the night at a female friend's home and molested her daughter, who was then between three and five years old, while the woman was sleeping nearby.

In 2009, he drove a seven-seater car which he used to ferry passengers.

A kindergarten later engaged him to transport children with special needs. In 2011, an autistic boy, whom he found to be cute, became one of his passengers.

Though Tan's contract ended in 2012, he continued to be engaged privately by the children's parents to take the youngsters to and from school.

The boy was between four and six years old around 2014 when he was released early from kindergarten. While he was in the front passenger seat, Tan made the child perform a sexual act on him. Tan committed similar offences against the boy between 2013 and 2014.

The offences were reported when the boy began to display sexualised behaviours. However, as he was autistic, he was non-verbal and unable to talk about the offences.

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On May 4, 2016, Tan called a maid whom he had befriended and offered her some food. She met him with her employer's daughter, whose age was not mentioned in court documents. The maid went behind Tan's vehicle to eat after he volunteered to take care of the girl.

He took the girl to the front cabin of the vehicle and took an upskirt shot of her as well as pictures of her sitting on his lap. The maid later retrieved the girl, oblivious to what Tan had done.

Tan also asked two other maids he had befriended to send him sexually explicit pictures of little girls. One declined, but the other agreed after he told her such pictures would arouse him. The DPP said Tan was also in a sexual relationship with her.

On at least 22 occasions between May 5 and Nov 1, 2016, Tan instigated the woman to send him explicit pictures of her employer's prepubescent daughter. On at least another eight occasions, she also sent Tan 51 photos of another prepubescent girl and three photos of her employer's prepubescent son naked.

The ages of the three children were not disclosed in court documents.

After becoming a school bus driver in 2017, Tan used a nine-seater van to ferry children who had been victims of alleged acts of abuse. DPP Chong said Tan knew the children were under care arrangements, and he had signed an undertaking to safeguard information linked to them.

One of them was an eight-year-old girl who had allegedly been physically abused and, as part of her care arrangements, had to live with her aunt and maternal grandparents.

After dropping off the other children on Jan 12, 2017, he molested the girl and took a video of himself committing the offence. He molested her again on Jan 16, 2017, and shot a video of the acts.

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DPP Chong said: "As he caressed her, the accused indicated he did not want her to be 'angry with him' and wanted her to be 'happy' with him.

"He indicated that what had happened between them was 'between you and me'. He indicated that he 'loved her' and asked if she loved him. She said she did not know and giggled."

Three days later, Tan showed the girl pictures of himself clad in underwear.

Later that month, the girl felt uncomfortable about what Tan had done. She told her aunt and grandparents who alerted her mother.

The mother alerted the police on Jan 26, 2017. Officers arrested Tan later that day and seized his phone, which contained upskirt videos of multiple victims.

The girl later said she felt "very scared" about the incidents and was ashamed talking about them. She had nightmares up until October 2017 about people attacking her or her family.

On Monday, DPP Chong urged the court to sentence Tan to up to 14 years' jail and 18 strokes of the cane.

As Tan cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old, the prosecutor asked for him to be given another nine months' jail.

DPP Chong added: "The accused's offences are as disgusting as they are despicable. After each shocking sexual offence, the accused simply continued – the dug deep into a pit of depravity and just kept digging.

"The accused deserves a sentence that will signal the court's condemnation of his crimes in the strongest possible terms."

Tan will be sentenced on Jan 27, 2023.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.