A 70-year-old man has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after he targeted the same child victim for abuse while out on bail, violating strict court orders that prohibited any contact with the boy.
Tang Seok Chye was sentenced on April 15 to a jail term of six years and 10 months after pleading guilty to three charges: performing an obscene act on a child, possessing child abuse material, and producing such content. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of grooming and betrayal of trust that spanned several years, including a period where the defendant was under legal supervision.
The case underscores a severe breach of judicial trust, as Tang continued to target the child even after his initial arrest and the imposition of a $25,000 bail bond. He is expected to begin serving his sentence on April 29.
A Pattern of Grooming and Deception
The relationship between Tang and the victim began in 2019, when the boy—then 12 years old and a Primary 5 student—visited Tang’s home to play computer games with a friend. Over time, this acquaintance evolved into a tutoring arrangement, with the boy occasionally visiting Tang’s flat after school for academic help.
According to court documents, Tang began targeting the child on Nov. 5, 2020. He used a camera to capture 62 explicit images of the boy, some of which clearly showed the victim’s face. By March 2021, the abuse escalated to physical acts, which Tang reportedly carried out once or twice a week.
During these encounters, Tang manipulated the child’s understanding of the abuse. Deputy Public Prosecutor Benjamin Low informed the court that the victim did not initially realize the actions were wrong. Tang allegedly convinced the boy that the acts were intended to “check on the development of the victim,” claiming the interest stemmed from previous conversations they had shared regarding puberty.
The Initial Investigation and Digital Evidence
The abuse came to light on Aug. 11, 2021, when a woman brought her 13-year-old son to the police to report that Tang had performed an obscene act on him. This report triggered a police raid on Tang’s residence, where authorities seized multiple electronic devices, including two mobile phones.
Forensic analysis of the devices uncovered a significant volume of illegal material. Police discovered 226 sexually explicit images and videos of children. Of these, 62 specifically depicted the victim in this case. DPP Low noted that Tang often deleted videos after viewing them out of a sense of guilt, but 164 videos remained on the devices at the time of the seizure.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Victim first meets Tang to play computer games. |
| Nov. 5, 2020 | Tang begins taking explicit images of the child. |
| March 2021 | Physical obscene acts begin occurring weekly. |
| Aug. 11, 2021 | First arrest following a police report by the victim’s mother. |
| Early 2022 | Victim returns to Tang’s home while Tang is on bail. |
| June 2022 | Tang performs a further sexual act on the victim. |
Violation of Bail and Continued Abuse
Following his August 2021 arrest, Tang was released on bail. A primary condition of his release was that he must have no contact with the victim. However, the prosecution detailed a shocking return to the abusive dynamic in early 2022.
The victim returned to Tang’s home, believing that the man had “changed for the better.” Between March and April 2022, the boy would spend several hours at the flat. On at least one occasion, Tang questioned the boy about why he had reported him to the police, a query to which the victim remained silent.
The cycle of abuse culminated in June 2022, when Tang performed another sexual act on the boy inside the flat. The prosecution stated that while the victim did not consent to the act, he did not attempt to stop Tang due to fear. This subsequent offense, occurring while Tang was legally bound to avoid the child, significantly aggravated the legal proceedings.
Legal Outcomes and Sentencing
Tang was eventually charged in court in 2025 for the cumulative weight of his crimes. In addition to the three counts to which he pleaded guilty, the court considered four other charges during the sentencing process. The final sentence of six years and 10 months reflects the gravity of the child abuse and the blatant disregard for court-mandated bail conditions.
The case highlights the vulnerabilities of child victims who may be groomed into believing that abuse is a form of “education” or “developmental checking,” and the critical importance of strict monitoring for offenders released on bail in cases involving minors.
Disclaimer: This report is based on court documents and prosecutorial statements and is provided for informational purposes only.
For those seeking support or wishing to report child abuse, resources are available through the Singapore Police Force or authorized child protection agencies.
Tang is scheduled to begin his custodial sentence on April 29. Further updates regarding the case may be available through official court registries.
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