MELAKA: A security guard has claimed trial at the Sessions Court in Ayer Keroh here to a charge of sexually abusing his six-year-old stepson.
The 33-year-old man entered a plea of not guilty before Sessions judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah on Thursday (July 11).
According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly committed the offence at a residential unit in Melaka Tengah district on April 6.
The charge was framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
If convicted, the accused faces up to 20 years in prison and possibly whipping.
DPP Nur Syazwanie Marizan opposed bail, citing that the victim is the stepson of the accused.
Lawyer Umar Zulkarnain, representing the accused, appealed for bail and said his client would stay with his father in Krubong here if it was granted.
The court set the bail at RM15,000 with one surety and imposed an additional condition that the accused must not disturb or approach the victim until the end of the proceedings.
The court also ordered that the accused report to the nearest police station once a month, and fixed Aug 15 for next mention.
