Source: China Press
A 50-year-old homeless man was arrested for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Malaysia.
The incident occurred on 31 July at a night market in Kluang, Johor when the victim was there with her mum to buy food, reported Harian Metro.
At about 4.15pm, Ho Khek Chung passed by the teenager and touched the latter’s nether regions.
The 15-year-old cried and told her mother about the incident — the pair immediately lodged a police report.
At about 5.30pm the same day, Ho was reportedly identified at the night market and arrested on the spot.
Appearing in court on 7 Aug, the unrepresented Ho pleaded not guilty to Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act.
Source: Harian Metro
The prosecution asked the court to deny bail, pointing out that he would be difficult to track down as he had no fixed address.
The judge agreed and postponed the case to Tuesday (10 Sept). He also told Ho to engage a lawyer.
On Wednesday (11 Sept), the still-unrepresented Ho confessed to sexually assaulting the 15-year-old girl.
“She was too beautiful, I couldn’t help myself,” he said, claiming that he did it out of impulse.
The prosecutor highlighted the seriousness of the crime, as it involved a minor who was still in school. The victim was also traumatised and left feeling scared and ashamed.
As such, the prosecution argued that the accused should be punished with the appropriate severity, which would also serve as public deterrence for his crime.
Source: Harian Metro
In the end, the judge sentenced Ho to five years in jail and one stroke of the cane. The jail sentence was backdated to the date of his arrest on 31 July.
Ho is also ordered to undergo police supervision for a year after completing his sentence.
Also read: Married S’pore Man Takes In Teen Victim Of Sexual Abuse As Daughter, Molests Her Almost Daily
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Featured image adapted from China Press.
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