KUCHING: A 17-year-old youth charged with gross sexual indecency and molestation of a girl was yesterday sent to a rehabilitation centre where he will stay for three years.
The boy pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct 13 but as he was underage, sentencing was deferred to yesterday.
The decision was made by magistrate Portia Tam Ong Leng after the boy’s probation report was produced in court.
He was convicted under Section 377 of the Penal Code which provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and possible whipping.
Section 354 of the same code provides for up to 10 years’ jail with a fine and/or whipping.
He committed the offences sometime last May on a staircase of a shop in the city.
According to the brief facts of the case, the accused forced the 15-year-old girl to commit oral sex on him while he outraged her modesty.
He was supposed to send the girl to school but threatened not to do so if she would not satisfy his lust.
The youth was not represented while Inspector Austin Patrick Angkon appeared for the prosecution.