GEORGE TOWN: A religious teacher was charged at the sessions court today with sodomising a 15-year-old boy at a house in Teluk Kumbar here.
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The 29-year-old ustaz was charged with committing the offence between November last year and March 14 this year.
He was charged with one count of committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent under Section 377C of the Penal Code which carries a five to 20-year jail term and whipping upon conviction.
The ustaz was also charged with two counts of physical sexual assault of a child under Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which carries a maximum 20-year jail sentence and whipping upon conviction. Section 14(b) is for offences where a child is made to touch any part of the body of a person for sexual purposes.
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He pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyer Md Yusuf Md Idris, in asking for bail, said the unmarried man was the sole breadwinner of his family, taking care of his elderly parents and six siblings.
Yusuf also said that as the accused was innocent until proven guilty, the court should allow bail.
Judge Norsalha Hamzah allowed bail at RM12,000 with one surety and ordered the accused not to contact the victim or related witnesses in the case.
She set April 26 for mention. Deputy public prosecutor Nabila Huda Muhammad Nazim prosecuted.-FMT