In its statement, police said that a 47-year-old man was arrested at his home in the Sengkang area.
Police have been looking for the suspect since 1999, but he has been able to evade capture due to the age of his victims who were unable to give a proper description.
However, last month, police managed to obtain and release images of the man captured for the first time on closed-circuit television (CCTV). A member of the public who saw the published CCTV images tipped off the police.
The molester was believed to be back on the prowl after lying low for seven years, and was linked to three cases in Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang in the past two months.
Targeting young girls between the age of 8 to 12 years old, his tactic sees him approach his lone victim at void decks or lift lobbies, pretending to ask for directions to a non-existent flat with a made-up unit number.
Conversing in either English or Mandarin, he would then ask his victim to lead the way and then bring her to a secluded staircase landing to commit the offence.
In some cases, he would pretend he needed to rest and would place the victim’s hand on his chest to “feel” his heartbeat. He would then tell his victim he had a weak heart. Sometimes, he was bold enough to move his victim’s hand down to his other body parts.
While investigations are still ongoing, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and caned if found guilty.
On a separate incident, police also issued a warning on Wednesday about a “bogus” policeman, who has been outraging the modesty of women by conducting searches on them.
The Straits Times reported that between February and October this year, six reports were filed. All the victims said they have been approached by a man in plainclothes at the void deck or corridor claiming to be a police officer.
In these cases, the culprit would use different reasons to conduct a search on the victim, claiming among other things, that he was checking for drugs and underage cigarette smoking. He would then use the opportunity to molest them.
The victims are aged between 12 and 36, and the incidents took place mostly in Pasir Ris, Choa Chu Kang, Woodlands and Boon Keng. The culprit has also been known to flash fake “police” passes of various colours to bolster his claim of being a police officer.
Police have advised the public that the proof of a police officer’s identity is his warrant card. A genuine warrant card will carry identification features such as the police crest, the photo of the officer, his name and identification number.
Impersonating a public servant carries a fine and a jail term of up to two years. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/04/heartbeat-molester-arrested/
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