KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — An air conditioning technician pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to a charge of sodomising his stepdaughter last month.
The 40-year-old man was charged with having unnatural sex with the girl, aged 9 years and 10 months, on the balcony of an apartment in Cheras at 2am on April 8.
He is charged under Section 377c of the Penal Code, read together with Section 16 (1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides imprisonment for up to 30 years and whipping if convicted.
Judge Zulqarnain Hassan did not allow him bail and set June 17 for mention.
Earlier, lawyer Charanpal Singh, representing the accused, when requesting his client's bail, said he is the sole breadwinner of the family and has to send his four other children, aged seven to 14, to school.
He added that the seven-year-old child has a heart problem and needs follow-up treatment at a hospital.
The prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Faizah Khalilah Zaberi.
— Bernama
