SINGAPORE - A hawker cum part-time massage therapist molested a woman who had gone to a healthcare centre near her home for neck and shoulder pain.

Sin Tiong Kheng, 60, was jailed for 11 months on Monday (Nov 6) after he admitted to fondling the 32-year-old woman's breasts, massaging her inner thighs and rubbing her at Clever Hands Healthcare & Therapy at Pasir Ris Street 21 on June 6, 2016.

The victim had experienced some neck and shoulder pain on June 5, 2016 and decided to go for a massage when the pain persisted.

She arrived at the centre at 12.10pm on June 6, 2016. Sin, who is self-taught and was a martial arts practitioner in his youth, quoted $38 for a 30-minute session.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Gail Wong said the victim, who was clad in a tank top and denim shorts, was facing down and lying on the left side of her body on the massage bed when Sin began massaging her up and down on the left side.

He claimed that if he massaged her shoulder directly, it would cause more injury.

Subsequently, the victim lay face up and Sin pressed his thumb on her breastbone, claiming that it would relieve tension from her right shoulder. He then rubbed his thumbs in an upward motion on her body, working downwards towards her stomach.

He told her that he would be applying oil as part of the massage. He told her to sit up and he lifted up her tank top. She used the top to cover her chest and was shocked but trusted Sin, thinking it was part of the massage.

Sin then unhooked her brassiere without her consent, said DPP Wong. She quickly moved her arms to cover her chest.

Sin told her to lie down before he applied oil on her. He used his hands to massage her from the stomach upwards to just below her breasts, claiming that there were lymph nodes there.

"In the course of this, the accused pushed the victim's brassiere upwards and massaged and fondled her breasts by slowing squeezing around her breasts and moving his hand across her breasts from bottom to top in an upwards motion repeatedly, and did so for about 20 minutes,'' said the DPP.

The victim felt vulnerable and confused. She was unsure if Sin was molesting her as she had had the same experience when it was done by a female masseuse.

Sin told her to do a one-hour therapy session which she agreed as she did feel some pain relief initially.

DPP Wong said Sin pressed the victim's waist and stomach area. He then moved down to massage her pelvic area, pressing his thumb there over her shorts two to three times, without seeking her consent.

He proceeded to massage her by pressing and squeezing her inner thighs, and rub her from the outside of her underwear, after removing her shorts.

Sin then heard a female voice outside and quickly stopped what he was doing. The victim was dressing up when he stroked her on the back. This made her believe that he may have intended to outrage her modesty but she was still very confused .

She paid for the massage, took his name card and lodged a police report.

Sin, represented by Mr Danny Chua, could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined. He cannot be caned as he is above 50.