Former police officer appeals conviction for indecency offenses involving son

A former police officer has appealed to the High Court against his convictions for indecency offenses, including forcing his underage son to watch pornography and engage in lewd acts.

The defendant, known by the alias FSL, was found guilty in 2022 on four counts of indecency, which included two counts of indecent conduct towards a child under 16 and two counts of inciting a child to commit a grossly indecent act.

The disgraced officer, now 50, had made his autistic son -- who was 15 during the trial -- watch obscene videos, expose his genitalia, and engage in indecent conduct on multiple occasions between 2016 and 2018. 

The first incident occurred when the boy was just 10 years old, with the son testifying that his father threatened to beat him if he refused to comply. 

He was sentenced to 48 months in jail upon conviction.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the former officer contended that his actions were not for sexual satisfaction, which he claimed is a necessary element of the charges. 

Instead, he argued that they were intended for sex education or merely in response to a medical issue his son faced.

However, the Department of Justice countered that sexual satisfaction need not be proven for the charges and emphasized the law's intent to protect children.

Justices Derek Pang Wai-cheong, Maggie Poon Man-kay, and Anthea Pang Po-kam have adjourned the case, promising to deliver a judgment within six months. 

The defendant was dismissed from the police force in November 2019 and is divorced from the boy’s mother. 

In 2023, he was sentenced to 24 months for fraud and theft charges, and another 28 months for child abuse involving his daughter.

(Eunice Lam)