TAWAU: An illegal immigrant was jailed six years and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane by the Sessions court here for committing physical sexual harassment against a 14-year-old local teenager.
Judge Ahmad Faizadh Yahaya imposed the sentence on Mansur Sudin, 29, after he pleaded guilty to committing the offence at 1am on July 9 this year at a rented room in Jalan Apas, here.
The court also ordered Mansur to undergo counselling sessions throughout his imprisonment and be referred to the Immigration Department after completing his sentence.
The offence under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, carries a jail term of 20 years, and whipping upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the teenager’s father found his daughter with Mansur inside the rented room after realising she was missing from home. The father also noticed that there was love bite at her neck.
Further investigation revealed that an initial medical examination found no signs of physical injury on the girl.
Following a police report, Mansur was arrested.
In mitigation, Mansur, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a lighter sentence, stating he has a child to support and has worked in an air-conditioning service.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Haikal MD Yatin urged the court to impose a heavy and appropriate sentence, taking into account the seriousness of the offence and public interest.
