Teen sexual offense: Motivational facilitator charged

A MOTIVATIONAL facilitator has been brought before the Sessions Court in Kangar today on two counts of committing physical and sexual communication acts of sexual grooming against a teenager at a school in the Padang Besar district last July.

The accused, Mohd Zulkarnain Atan, 44, however, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Magistrate Ana Rozana Mohd Nor, who spoke on behalf of the Sessions Court.

Based on the first and second charges, the accused is alleged to have committed physical and sexual communication acts of sexual grooming against a 14-year-old male teenager.

The act was allegedly committed in the hall of a school in the Padang Besar district at 9 a.m. on 10 July.

The accused was charged with offenses punishable under Section 14(a) and Section 11(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792).

If found guilty, the accused could face imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping for the first charge, and imprisonment of up to three years for the second charge.

The prosecution was conducted by the state Deputy Public Prosecutor, Tengku Ruqayyah Tengku Shahrom, while the accused was represented by lawyer Nur Ayuni Ahmad from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).

Tengku Ruqayyah offered bail of RM20,000 for the accused.

However, Nur Ayuni objected and appealed to the court to grant lower bail on the grounds that her client is a widower with no fixed income, suffers from heart disease, asthma, and back pain, and needs treatment at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, Kangar.

Additionally, Nur Ayuni stated that her client has to support his elderly father and his sister, who is also a single mother.

The court allowed bail of RM15,000 with one surety for the accused.

The court also set 16 October as the date for a mention of the case, as well as the submission of documents and forensic reports.

In February last year, the accused was brought before the Ayer Keroh Magistrate's Court on two counts of outraging the modesty of two male students from a public university in Melaka. - September 17, 2025