Senior citizen claims trial to sexually harassing 12-year-old girl

SEREMBAN, July 18 (Bernama) -- A senior citizen pleaded not guilty in the Seremban Sessions Court today to committing eight counts of sexual offences against a 12-year-old girl including having in his possession child pornography videos.

The accused V. Subramaniam, 65, a lorry driver, made the plea after the charge was read out to him by an interpreter before Judge Junaidah Mohd Isa.

The accused was charged with two counts of producing and possessing a pornographic video of a 12-year-old girl in his cell phone.

For the third charge, the accused had allegedly persuaded the victim to commit sexual acts by promising to buy various types of goods and clothing for the victim.

Meanwhile, for five other charges, he was charged with sexual harassment, ordering the victim to perform sexual acts on him and allowing the victim to watch the sexual acts conducted by him. 

All these acts were committed at the parking lot of the Seremban Municipal Council Hawkers Complex, here, at 6 pm between the second and third week of June.

Meanwhile, Subramaniam was also charged with an alternative charge of possessing pornographic material in his cell phone at the Seremban district police headquarters at 2.30 am on July 10.

Upon conviction, the accused, who was not represented, could be jailed up to five years, a fine or both under Section 293 of the Penal Code.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin requested for bail to be denied because the accused knew the victim's family and if granted bail there was possibility the accused might harass the family. 

Junaidah denied bail after hearing the prosecution’s argument and set Aug 21 for mention.

On July 9, police detained a senior citizen who was believed to have engaged in acts of gross indecency in a video with a 12-year-old girl, which had gone viral on Whatsapp and Facebook.

The suspect was detained at the Gopeng expressway in Perak, at about 9.20 pm on the same day, while on his way to send a consignment of goods to Padang Besar, Perlis.

-- BERNAMA