Teacher pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges

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KUCHING: A teacher has pleaded not guilty to committing physical sexual assault on a 12-year-old boy, and also inciting him to act of gross indecency.

The 45-year-old man made the plea yesterday before Sessions Court Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd @ Mohd Yusoff, who then released him on RM10,000 bail with two sureties, pending trial date.

The Sessions Court fixed this July 6 for pre-trial case management.

The teacher is also ordered to report himself at the nearest police station on specific occasions and he is prohibited from approaching the boy either in person, or using an agent, as the case is on-going.

The sexual assault charges are framed under Section 14 of Sexual Offences Against Children 2017, punishable by maximum imprisonment of 20 years and liable to whipping, upon conviction.

The teacher is also charged with allegedly inciting the boy to certain acts of gross indecency with him under Section 377E of the Penal Code, which provides a maximum of 15 years in jail and whipping upon conviction.

All of these offences are said to have been committed between April and August 2019, inside the store-room and the men’s toilet of a school in Petra Jaya near here.

Prosecuting was DPP Nurfadzlin Mahmad Zulhasnan, while Simon Siah represented the accused.