A 42-YEAR-OLD Singaporean man accused of tying up his stepdaughter and sexually assaulting her was ordered on Tuesday to stand trial in the High Court.

The man, a hawker assistant, faces one charge of rape and another of wrongfully restraining his stepdaughter to molest her. He also faces two counts of drug abuse.

The man was committed to stand trial on the four charges after a preliminary inquiry on Tuesday.

He cannot be named to protect the identity of his stepdaughter, a Chinese national who was 20 at the time of the alleged offences last June.

The prosecution has alleged the man raped his stepdaughter at their home, an HDB flat, at about 7pm on June 27.

He allegedly molested her after tying her hands behind her back and binding her ankles together. The man is also accused of using methamphetamine, a stimulant, as well as nimetazepam, a sedative, on that day.

He has a prior conviction for drug abuse in 1994, the court heard.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Shawn Ho, is expected to call 27 witnesses to testify against the man. Trial dates have yet to be set.

The man is represented by lawyer Rajan Supramaniam, who was assigned under the criminal legal aid scheme.

If convicted of rape, he could be jailed up to 20 years, caned or fined. For the wrongful restraint to molest charge, he faces a jail term of between two and 10 years, with caning.