The abuser even took nude photos of the boy. Despite recurring nightmares of being touched inappropriately, the boy remained silent due to shame and the belief that no one would believe him.

He also knew his father had borrowed money from the neighbor and didn't want to cause further complications. Eventually, his family moved away.

Almost 20 years later, in 2024, a chance encounter with his former neighbor triggered painful memories, leading him to report the abuse to the police.

At the trial on 2/9, the offender, now 72, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and received the maximum sentence of two years in prison.

A gag order protects the victim's identity, prohibiting the release of both the victim's and offender's names and addresses.

According to the prosecution, the boy lived in the same neighborhood as the accused, who owned a vegetable stall. The two families knew each other, and the boy, a friend of the accused, often visited his house.

The stall owner had several Nintendo Game Boy consoles and would let the neighborhood boys play them.

In 2005, the accused offered the victim the use of a Game Boy in exchange for staying at the stall. The boy agreed since his family couldn't afford to buy one.

When the victim visited the stall at least once a week to play video games, the offender would touch his thigh. The boy felt uncomfortable but didn't tell anyone.

He tried to resist, but the neighbor would immediately take back the Game Boy and send him home. The victim would then have to plead to use it again.

As a result, the boy felt indebted to the offender and allowed the inappropriate behavior to continue. The accused claimed he couldn't remember how many times he touched the boy due to the passage of time.

When the family moved, the boy tried to forget what happened, but the traumatic memories lingered.

Hai Thu (Theo Straittimes)