KOTA KINABALU: Two stepfathers pleaded not guilty in separate Sessions Court cases to physically sexually abusing their underage stepdaughters in Papar.
The 49-year-old contractor allegedly molested his 11-year-old stepdaughter at their home in Kinarut between November and December 2020, while the 46-year-old foreman is accused of fondling his 13-year-old stepdaughter’s breasts in March this year.
Both were charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction.
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In a separate case, a 25-year-old man without a MyKad, Muhammad Asraff Iqram Arshad, also claimed trial to fondling a 17-year-old girl, and was granted RM8,000 bail with similar conditions; all three cases were prosecuted by DPP Bryan Francis.