Suspect in viral child molest video nabbed
SUNGAI PETANI: Police have arrested a man who is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 7-yearold girl, as depicted in a video clip that went viral on Sunday.
The man, in his 40s, was detained at 3.10pm here yesterday following a report lodged by the girl’s mother yesterday.
Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner Saifi Abdul Hamid said the man would be produced in court tomorrow morning for a remand order.
He said since the video clip of the al- leged incident went vi- ral on Sunday, police had received two reports, one of which was lodged by the girl’s mother. Preliminary investigations found that the man was a friend of the girl’s family.
“The man had gone to the woman’s house in Sungai Lalang at 11pm on Saturday and asked her if he could take the girl out to buy food. He brought the girl home about two hours later.”
Saifi said the girl’s mother had confronted the man after she saw a video of the incident on Facebook on Sunday. He allegedly told her that he was sorry before fleeing the scene.
The woman lodged a report at the Sungai Petani police station at 2.50am yesterday.
Saifi said the girl had been sent to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital.
The video was first uploaded by Durian Media on Facebook, claiming that the incident took place at a funfair here at 11.30pm on Saturday.
Social activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi had called on social media users to stop circulating the video to protect the child, whose face could be clearly seen.