NTU grad
student arrested for allegedly molesting
teenager
SINGAPORE: A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) grad student
has been arrested, after a teenager alleged that he was molested
when he took part in what he thought was a research project.
The police confirmed that a report was lodged and a 25-year-old man
was arrested for outrage of modesty.
Channel NewsAsia understands that the man, a Singaporean, was
arrested on Saturday (Jan 20).
The incident was said to have happened last November. According to
Nanyang Chronicle, the university's student-run campus newspaper,
the 17-year-old victim said he responded to an online advertisement
on Gumtree calling for participants to be part of a "body
stimulation" research project.
Participants were promised payment of up to S$25 an hour. Those
under 16 years old were promised an additional S$10 per session. A
purported ad on Craigslist reportedly asked for male participants
only.
The teenager told the Nanyang Chronicle that the graduate student
took him to his dormitory on Nov 13 last year and instructed him to
"shower and come out naked". He claimed he was then blindfolded,
restrained to a bed with a cloth and molested.
The victim filed a report the following day.
According to the Nanyang Chronicle article, the teenager agreed to
the man's various requests because he was afraid and that the man
was "a big guy".
In a statement on Saturday, an NTU spokesperson said that there was
no such research project approved by the university.
"There is no such scientific or scholarly research project that has
been undertaken. Any research involving human participants must be
submitted to the Institutional Review Board for review and
approval," said the spokesperson, adding that NTU takes campus
security and safety seriously.
“The university views academic and research misconduct as serious
disciplinary offences. We are aware that the police are
investigating this case and we are assisting them in their
investigations."
According to the Chronicle, the graduate student denied involvement
with the online ads.
Source: CNA/ng