Kota Kinabalu: A man was charged with committing physical sexual harassment against a minor.
Ismail Kassim pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus. However, Ismail’s sentencing was deferred to March 27 this year. Pending the date, Ismail was ordered remanded further.
He is accused of committing the offence by hugging the eight-year-old girl and kissing her lips at 9.30pm on Feb 14 this year at a village in Likas, here. The offence under Section 14(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Hajar Mazlan appeared for the prosecution while Ismail was not represented. Meanwhile, five illegal immigrants were jailed four months each for entering the State illegally.
They were Danny Sanchez Bustamante, Sani Sabdani, Jas Bakiar, Ali Rajik, and Jebee Jalil. All of them pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Azreena Aziz.
They were arrested in different places around the city between Jan 27 and Feb 24 this year after failing to produce their identification documents to the police.
The illegal immigrants were ordered to serve the jail sentence from the date of their arrests. After completing their jail sentence, the five were ordered referred to the Immigration Department for their biometric data to be recorded before deportation.
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