SEREMBAN: A 46-year-old teacher claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to three counts of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old male pupil in his school.
He pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him before judge Surita Budin here yesterday.
He was charged with committing the offences against the victim in the warden’s restroom and a sports room in the religious residential school in a district here.
The alleged offences were committed at 1.20am on May 18, 2am on May 25, and 12.45am on June 12 last year.
The accused was charged under Sections 14(a) and (d) of the Sexual Offences Act Against Children 2017, read together with Section 16 of the same legislation.
Offenders can be jailed up to 20 years and whipped upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Balkis Zunaidi then told the court the prosecution was offering the accused bail of RM30,000 for each charge pending next mention.
She also asked the court to order the accused to report at the nearest police station once a month until his case is disposed of, not to contact the alleged victim, and to surrender his passport to the court.
Counsel for the accused Nabila Hamzah pleaded for a minimum bail, adding that the amount offered was excessive.
She said the accused also has to provide for his wife and three young children as well as his aged parents, and has to bear their medical expenses.
Nabila said the accused had no problem complying with the other applications by the prosecution.
Judge Surita then set bail at RM30,000 and allowed the other applications by the prosecution, with Dec 16 fixed for mention.
