15 years' jail, caning for man who raped ll-year-old stepdaughter

Fast-food chain worker also got her to record him and her mother having sex

- Selina Lum

A man coerced his 11-year-old stepdaughter into performing various sexual acts over a period of two months, and on one occasion even told her to trust him.

The man also told the girl to record a video of him and her mother having sex.

In sentencing the 29-year-old man on Feb 24, a High Court judge said it was "heartbreaking" that when instructed to record the act, the victim felt relieved, rather than repulsed, because it meant she was not going to be assaulted.

Justice Aidan Xu sentenced the man to 15 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane, saying that his heinous and depraved acts had robbed the victim of her innocence.

The man pleaded guilty to three charges: one count of aggravated rape, one count of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of engaging in a sexual activity in the presence of a minor.

Another nine charges, for various sexual offences against the same victim, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Justice Xu commended a tutor and a social worker who helped bring the sex abuse to light. "They saw and they acted," he said.

In response to the judge's questions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu said the victim, who is now 13 years old, is living with her mother and that no criminal action is being pursued against the mother.