Photo for illustration purposes only.
MIRI (Sept 29): A sexagenarian pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to five charges of raping a child and one charge of molesting her.
Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd @ Mohd Yusoff allowed the 69-year-old from Desa Senadin to be released on RM4,000 undeposited bail in four local sureties pending pre-trial case management on Oct 27.
According to the first charge, the accused allegedly raped the then seven-year-old victim in the living room of a house in Desa Senadin in early September 2016.
Under the second, third, and fourth charges, the accused raped the girl in a room of the same house in mid-June 2017, early August 2019, and mid-March 2020 respectively, when the girl was aged eight, 10, and 11.
According to the fifth charge, Sim raped the same girl in the living room of the same house at the end of October 2020.
Each of the five charges is framed under Section 376 (2)(e) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and caning upon conviction.
The sexagenarian is also accused of molesting the girl by touching her breasts and private part in mid-October 2020 at around 8.30pm in the living room of the same house in Desa Senadin.
The offence is framed under Section 14(a) of the of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.
The Section provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and caning.
ASP Koay Kok Ping prosecuted the case, while the accused was unrepresented by counsel.