The 36-year-old suspect being led to the police station following his arrest on Sunday night.
MIRI: Police arrested a 36-year-old man and are searching for another in connection with the rape of a 13-year-old girl at a hotel last week.
The suspect was arrested in front of a house at Sungai Dalam Jaya 1, near here, 9.30pm on Sunday following a report lodged on Sept 20 by the girl’s father, who informed the police that his daughter had gone missing from home since that morning.
Deputy district police chief Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit, when contacted yesterday, confirmed the arrest.
“Initial investigation revealed the victim had been forced to have sex with the suspect and another male, who is still at-large, at a hotel here.
“The suspects took turns to rape the victim after threatening to beat her,” Stanley said.
Prior to the incident at the hotel, the victim was also forced to have sex with an 82-year-old businessman at a homestay here, and was paid RM700.
The octogenarian businessman is the same person arrested on Sept 19 in connection with the alleged rape of another girl, also aged 13.
Meanwhile, police have obtained a remand order against the 36-year-old suspect at the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Court.
The suspect is to be remanded for six days to facilitate investigation under Section 376 of the Penal Code for statutory rape.