JOHOR BARU: A 29-year-old suspected pedophile, who had earlier claimed insanity in court, has been declared fit for trial.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said a psychiatric specialist deemed the suspect, who faces multiple counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and sexually abusing children, is of sound mind.
“The suspect was brought to the Johor Baru Sessions Court on Wednesday (Jan 28) where a specialist’s report showed that he is normal and fit for trial.
“The court has fixed Feb 27 for next mention,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Jan 29).
Comm Ab Rahaman said the suspect was first charged on Aug 29 last year for three counts of having child pornographic materials under Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
He was also charged with three counts of sexual assault involving touching, framed under Section 14(a) of the same Act as well as one count of physical contact with a child without intercourse under Section 14(d) of the same Act.
“Our continuous investigation against him revealed other wrongdoings.
“On Jan 16, the suspect was brought to the Johor Baru Sessions Court where he was charged with three offences under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007,” he said.
The suspect, a technician, was reportedly part of a syndicate that offered pregnant mothers between RM1,500 and RM3,500 to give up their child for adoption through advertisements on Facebook.
The children were then sexually abused to produce videos and photos that were uploaded on the dark web and a Telegram group with subscribers from around the world.
The syndicate was crippled after a month-long police operation following the suspect's arrest on July 19; he is believed to be the main suspect.
