IPOH: A 37-year-old senior assistant co-curricular teacher has been charged with sexually harassing a 12-year-old pupil.
Teh Chau Teik pleaded not guilty to two charges read before Sessions judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason here on Thursday (Dec 12).
According to the first charge sheet, he is said to have committed physical sexual abuse by hugging the child from behind and kissing her on the mouth at 6.40am on Sept 11 in a classroom of a Chinese primary school in Chemor.
On the second charge, he is accused of a similar offence against the same victim in a different classroom at 6.40am on Sept 26.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' jail and caning upon conviction.
The charge was read together with Section 16 of the same Act, which provides for an additional penalty of five years in prison and no fewer than two strokes of the cane.
DPP Qurratu'aini Khalifah offered bail of no less than RM50,000, with additional conditions deemed fit by the court.
Lawyer S.Teeban Kummar, representing the accused, asked for a lower amount as his client earned RM7,000 a month and had to support his mother and three younger siblings.
The court then set bail at RM7,000 with one surety, and ordered Teh to report to the nearest police station once a month and not to approach the victim.
The court also fixed Jan 17 for mention of the case.
