Man charged for sexual abuse of 12-year-old girl

The Cebu City Prosecutor's Office has recommended a P200,000 bail for the temporary liberty of a 24-year-old man indicted for the alleged sexual abuse committed on a 12-year-old girl.

Prosecutor III Noel Cellona held the accused, a resident of Tupaz Street, Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City, for trial after finding probable cause of child abuse.

The FREEMAN withholds the names of the parties involved due to the sensitive nature of the case.

“The said accused, with deliberate intent, and by means of force and intimidation, did then and there commit acts of child abuse on a 12-year-old minor, by touching her against her will, which acts are prejudicial to their development as children and degrade and demean their intrinsic worth and dignity as a human being,” reads the charge sheet.

In her sworn-statement, the 12-yearold girl alleged that while she was sleeping at the house of her grandfather on November 23, 2016, she was awakened at around 1 a.m. when she felt somebody touching her.

She allegedly saw that it was the accused and immediately shouted for help. According to her, the accused switched off the lights in the room then ran away.

Accompanied by her family, the minor then reported the incident to the police.

Cellona directed the accused to file a counter-affidavit to answer the allegations filed against him, but the accused failed to do so.