Man in child molest video pleads guilty
> Labourer can be jailed up to 20 years and whipped
SUNGAI PETANI: A man who was captured on video molesting a young girl at a funfair pleaded guilty to a sexual harassment charge in the sessions court here yesterday.
Labourer Tan Seong Hee, 44, admitted to the charge after it was read out by a court interpreter in front of judge N. Priscilla Hemamalini.
Police had arrested Tan in his house in Sungai Petani after two police reports were lodged earlier over the incident.
Deputy public prosecutor Shamsul Singring cited Section 14(a) of Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which is punishable by imprisonment up to 20 years and whipping.
The court fixed March 1 for mention of the case pending a psychiatric medical report on the accused. Tan was not allowed bail. Kuala Muda district police chief ACP Saifi Abdul Hamid said the victim’s mother had lodged a police report after seeing a video of the alleged act in Facebook.
The man had apparently gone to the woman’s house in Sungai Lalang at 11pm and asked her for permission to take the girl out to buy food at Taman Bandar Baru here. He brought the girl home at 1am. Saifi had earlier said investigations also showed that the woman had confronted the man after she saw the video of the incident.
He allegedly told her that he was sorry before fleeing the scene.
The woman came to the Sungai Petani police station to lodge a report, he said.
Saifi said based on the video clip, the incident took place at a funfair in Sungai Petani.