SINGAPORE — A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) helicopter pilot, who held the rank of lieutenant-colonel, admitted in court on Jan 10 to molesting a female student at a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) dormitory in 2022.
Neo Aik Chiao, 47, pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force with the intent to outrage the modesty of the 21-year-old woman and another for criminal trespass.
Neo had entered the victim's room, which was located on a floor meant for female students exclusively. There is a gag order on the victim and the specific location of the incident.
According to court documents, he accessed the dormitory rooms of two women, aged 18 and 21, on Nov 13.
A second criminal trespass charge will be taken into consideration during Neo's sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb 21.
In a statement after he was charged in November 2023, the Ministry of Defence said Neo has been suspended from all duties.
The ministry also said that it would carefully assess the eventual findings before deciding on further appropriate actions.
The accused's lawyers Sunil Sudheesan and Joyce Khoo, from Quahe Woo & Palmer, said Neo decided to go to NTU, his alma mater, to seek emotional comfort as the institution represented "a place of fond memories and familiarity".
They said Neo had been in a low mood since his godfather, whom he was very close to, died on June 30, 2022.
The lawyers said that before committing the offences, Neo drank beer and planned to visit his godfather's home to seek solace, but ended up at NTU instead.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Shiau Yin said Neo's victim was in lying on her bed, eating some snacks and using her phone, at about 2am on Nov 13, 2022, when she heard a knock on her door.
Before she could react, Neo opened the door. He spoke to her briefly, before entering the room without her permission.
Neo then closed the door behind him, and locked it.
He sat on the student's bed and told her that he was tired as he had just climbed many flights of stairs.
Said DPP Wong: "The victim felt puzzled by the accused's actions but did not react as he looked tired and was sweating profusely."
Neo asked the student for some drinks, and she directed him to a water cooler on another level.
Instead of leaving, Neo continued to sit on her bed and asked for directions to Hall 10 and Hall 14, saying that he was looking for a friend who was residing at one of the blocks.
The student provided directions, but Neo then asked for directions to other halls.
He also asked her some personal questions, like where she was from and what she was studying.
After the victim replied that she was from Jiangsu province in China, Neo continued quizzing her about her course of study, her name, and other personal information.
He then asked the student if she wanted to earn some extra income and "accompany" him for $1,000.
"At this point, the victim felt uncomfortable as the accused was making a sexual proposition," said DPP Wong.
The student rejected Neo by saying that she did not need the money and told him to leave her room. Instead, Neo touched her left thigh.
After the student repeated her request for him to leave her room, Neo stood up from the bed, walked towards her and touched her left arm.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and said in Mandarin: "Is $1,000 ok? Can you accompany me?".
Scared, the victim pushed Neo away and shouted for him to leave the room.
Neo eventually walked to the door and told the student the door was locked and that he could not open it.
The student then took out her phone intending to call her friend and when Neo saw this, he unlocked the door and left the room.
The student called campus security and made a police report.
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A report from the Institute of Mental Health stated that Neo was intoxicated at the time of the offences, adding that there may be a partial contributory link between his alcohol intoxication and loss of restraint.
The report added that he was not of unsound mind at the time of the offence.
DPP Wong argued for Neo to be sentenced to at least 12 weeks' jail, saying the molestation offence was committed on private property in the wee hours of the morning.
Khoo and Sudheesan said he should be fined about $10,000, saying that it was a one-off incident and uncharacteristic of Neo.
They highlighted that the skin-to-skin contact between their client and the victim was very brief, and that there was no invasion of the victim's private part.
They also said Neo did not have any ulterior motive, and had entered the dormitory to find someone to talk to.
For using criminal force intending to outrage modesty, Neo can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.
He can be jailed for up to three months, fined up to $1,500, or both, for criminal trespass.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
