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