But by chance, his colleague and two students caught him in the act. If not, he could still be preying on his young charges.
Channel NewsAsia today reported that the guardian of a student care centre in a primary school in Singapore was sentenced to 10 years in jail for molesting eight boys, aged between eight and 11, including giving and receiving oral sex from the oldest victim.
A further eight charges against him involving more victims were withdrawn.
The court heard that the 68-year-old man, whose name was withheld to protect the victims, had been hired on the spot by the student centre because he had come highly recommended by his pastor.
He worked there for three years, helping the boys with their homework and buying them sweets and no one was the wiser.
That was until Sept 13, 2013 when two students and another guardian saw the man slipping his hand under the table to touch a 10-year-old boy’s penis.
The guardian reported him to the centre’s supervisor, who reported him to the human resources manager who decided to suspend the man immediately.
At the trial, the human resources manager testified she had hired the man without interviewing him first.
His was “a unique case”, she said, because he had come “recommended by his pastor (who said) he was good with children and youths”.
One victim called the man a “caring teacher” who took the boys to church and bought them “ice pops and sweets”.
Another victim said he was “friendly, kind and very patient” when helping the boys with their homework.
At the end of the 14-day trial, the judge called him a “predator”.
“Instead of guarding and protecting them, you took advantage of them,” said district judge Hamidah Ibrahim.
The fact that the defendant had called up three of his victims to tell them not to tell anyone that he had molested them when he found out that he was under investigation by the student care centre showed that he had “absolutely no remorse”, said the judge.
The man’s lawyer said he would appeal the conviction and sentence.
The man is out on S$100,000 (RM314,000) bail pending the hearing of his appeal.