BALING: Four teenage boys pleaded not guilty at the Children's Court here to charges of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Form Three student.
The accused, aged 15 to 17, comprise one former student and three current secondary school students.
They were charged separately in closed proceedings before judge Rohaida Ishak on Tuesday (Oct 21).
Each is accused of committing physical sexual assault on the teenage girl at the Becah Sawa oil palm plantation in Siong, as well as inside a classroom at a secondary school here, on various dates in June, July and August.
They were 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.
Deputy public prosecutor Amirul Halimi Md Salleh appeared for the prosecution, while the accused were unrepresented.
After the proceedings, the prosecution informed the media that the teenagers had pleaded not guilty.
The court granted each accused bail of RM3,000 with one surety and set Nov 27 for the next case mention.
Previously, the media reported that three students and a former student from a secondary school had been arrested in connection with the sexual offence and the distribution of lewd material.
Police made the arrests after a 53-year-old parent alerted the school's disciplinary teacher that a video of the girl was being circulated. – Bernama
