JOHOR BARU: An unemployed man has been charged at the Sessions Court here with abducting and illegally confining a six-year-old girl last month.
Leang Win Son, 31, however, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him in Mandarin in front of Sessions Judge Rasidah Ruslee here on Thursday (Aug 8).
According to the charge sheet, the accused, who is single, allegedly abducted the child from her mother at Eko Galleria 3 along Jalan Eko Botani 3/2 in Iskandar Puteri here at around 8.30pm on July 20.
He was charged under Section 363 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum seven years imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.
Leang was also charged with wrongfully confining the child inside a hotel room on Jalan Mahogani 9, Batang Kali in Hulu Selangor, Selangor at around 4.45am on July 23.
The accused then claimed trial to the two charges and Rasidah then set bail at RM20,000 and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.
She also ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station once a month until the case is over and not to disturb any of the prosecution witnesses.
Leang is also facing six other charges in the same court under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Johor prosecution director Ghafar Ab Latif prosecuted the case while lawyers Ungku Ahmad Hafis Ungku Fathil and Nur Zafirah Norizan represented the accused.
The victim’s mother and other family members were seen inside the courtroom to hear the proceedings.
The accused was later brought to the Kulai Magistrate’s Court under police escort to face additional charges.
On Sunday, Leang was re-arrested following the discovery of various sex toys, adult pornographic material, and child sexual abuse material at his residence in Kulai.
He was under remand to allow further investigation under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and Section 292 of the Penal Code.
Previously, the suspect was remanded for 13 days from July 23 until Monday (August 5) to assist in investigations under Section 365 of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 before being released on police bail.
The six-year-old girl was reported missing by her father on July 20 at a shopping mall in Iskandar Puteri before she was found safe at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor on July 23.
