A 30-year-old man pleaded not guilty in Sessions Court to charges of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl at a shopping mall in Jalan Harmonium, Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor.
According to the charge sheet, Mohamad Hafizwan Ayob, who works as a salesman, is accused of touching the child’s genitals and kissing her nose at the mall around 8:15 pm on March 16, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.
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A bail of RM20,000 was proposed
Hafizwan was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act, 2017, which could land him in prison for up to 20 years and even get him whipped if found guilty.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Fadilah Johanuddin suggested setting bail at RM20,000 with one surety. He would also have to stay away from the victim and prosecution witnesses, report to the nearest police station, and hand over his passport to the court.
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“I didn’t do anything to the child”
Hafizwan, who wasn’t represented by a lawyer, asked for his bail to be lowered to RM5,000, as he is supporting his elderly parents, and his mother relies on monthly medication for her asthma.
“I didn’t do anything to the child, I just held her. I’ll figure out how to pay the bail or borrow from my family,” he said.
The judge set his bail at RM10,000 with one surety.
The case will be mentioned again on April 28.
