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Kassim Juhamat pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault by penetration and was sentenced on Aug. 26, according to The Straits Times. His prison term included an additional six months in lieu of caning, as Singapore law does not allow men above the age of 50 to be caned.

Three other charges arising from the same incident, two counts of molestation and one of committing an obscene act, were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The girl frequently visited the restaurant to see someone whose relationship with her cannot be disclosed because of a gag order protecting her identity. She became acquainted with Kassim there and referred to him as “Uncle Kassim.”

On June 27, 2025, she arrived at the restaurant at around 4:15 p.m. and sat next to Kassim, who was resting at a table in a corner while other employees and customers were present, AsiaOne reported.

After the girl asked him to scratch an itch on her lower back, Kassim began touching her inappropriately despite her repeatedly telling him to stop.

When she tried to leave, he restrained her, kissed her and sexually assaulted her. He also forced her to take part in an obscene act.

Kassim released the girl at around 5 p.m. after warning her not to tell anyone what had happened.

The next day, the person she had been visiting noticed a change in her behavior toward Kassim and questioned her. After learning about the assault, the person confronted Kassim at the restaurant.

Kassim initially denied the allegations but admitted what he had done after being told that the police would be contacted and CCTV footage examined.

A restaurant manager later filed a police report on the girl’s behalf. Kassim was arrested two days after the assault and has remained in custody since.