Kota Kinabalu: A school security guard who committed physical sexual harassment against a schoolgirl was jailed for 10 years and ordered to receive three strokes of the cane.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan imposed the sentence on Mohd Firdaus Basir, 34, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge.
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Mohd Firdaus was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane for sexually harassing the 11-year-and-nine-month-old victim by hugging and kissing her cheeks for a sexual purpose at 5.50am on Jan 13 this year at a school in Tuaran.
The offence, under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (SOACA), carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
He was also sentenced to an additional three years’ imprisonment and two strokes of the cane under Section 16(1) of SOACA, which carries a jail term of up to five years and a minimum of two strokes of the cane.
The court ordered Mohd Firdaus to serve the prison sentences consecutively from the date of his arrest.
He was also ordered to undergo rehabilitation counselling while serving his sentence and to be placed under police supervision for two years upon completing his jail term.
The court heard that the incident occurred when the victim was at the school’s waiting area at about 5.50am, when Mohd Firdaus invited her to eat at the school canteen.
Initially, the victim declined the invitation because she was already full, but Mohd Firdaus persisted and forced her to accompany him.
After arriving at the canteen, Mohd Firdaus told the victim that he wanted to take something from his car, and she followed him.
While at the parking area near his car, Mohd Firdaus suddenly hugged the victim from behind. The victim elbowed him and told him it was inappropriate to behave that way.
The victim then ran ahead, but Mohd Firdaus grabbed her hand and hugged her again from behind while placing his hands on her stomach. He kissed her cheeks and told her that he wanted to touch her “intimate parts”.
The victim once again elbowed Mohd Firdaus and ran away from him. Following the incident, she became frightened and avoided him.
However, on Jan 28 this year, Mohd Firdaus approached her and attempted to persuade her by giving her a plastic bag containing a letter, a bottle of perfume and some biscuits.
She later disclosed the incident to a discipline teacher and subsequently lodged a police report against Mohd Firdaus.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shafeerah Mad Iskim appeared for the prosecution, while Mohd Firdaus was unrepresented.
