PETALING JAYA: A technician was sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane by the Johor Bahru courts today on 10 counts of offences against children, including sexual offences.
Imran Abdullah, 30, pleaded guilty in the sessions court and High Court to charges of trafficking in children, sexually assaulting children, and recording child sexual abuse material, Sinar Harian reported.
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Judges Zamir Suhaimee, Nor Aziati Jaafar and Madihah Zainol ordered Imran to commence serving his 18-year jail term from the date of his arrest on July 19 last year.
Imran was charged with three counts of trafficking in two five-day-old babies and a seven-month-old baby for the purpose of exploitation at Taman Melor, Tampoi and Taman Scientex, Pasir Gudang, between March 11 and Nov 24, 2024.
The charges under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2021 is punishable by five years to natural life imprisonment and whipping, upon conviction.
He was also charged with four counts of sexually assaulting three girls between the ages of five and seven at a house in Kampung Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, on April 5, 2024.
The charges were framed under Sections 14(a) and (b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for touching a child’s body part and making a child touch the body part of the offender or another person for sexual purposes.
The offence is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping, upon conviction.
His last three charges were for producing child sexual abuse material by recording videos of the three girls at the same location and date.
The charge of producing child pornography under Section 5 of the same Act is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a minimum six strokes of the cane.
Deputy public prosecutors Nur Diyana Zubir, Nor Fadilah Johanuddin and Nur Farah Wahida Shahudin prosecuted, while Imran was represented by lawyers Imran Sam and Haziq Ishak.
The lawyers sought a lighter sentence for their client, saying he has three young children and needs to look after his sick parents.
However, the courts held that public interest needed to be prioritised given the trauma the accused had inflicted on the young victims.
The courts also ordered Imran to undergo rehabilitative counselling throughout his time in prison and to be placed under police supervision two years after his release.
