MIRI: A 24-year-old man from Bandar Baru Permyjaya pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at two separate locations.
The unemployed accused is charged with two counts of sexual assault. The offences are alleged to have occurred on March 26 this year.
The accused was produced at the Miri Sessions Court on Wednesday morning before judge Steve Ritikos and he nodded to indicate he understood the charges which were read to him in Malay. He was not represented. The accused was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a jail sentence of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
Judge Steve granted a cash bail of RM7,000 with two local sureties for each charge and set Nov 20 for pre-trial case management.
According to the case charge sheet, on March 26, the accused allegedly committed the crime at a roadside near Lorong 4 in Bandar Baru Permyjaya and in an unnumbered house at Lorong 10 in Bandar Baru Permyjaya.
