MELAKA: An Indonesian man was charged at the Ayer Keroh magistrate's court today with sexually communicating with an underaged teenage girl last year.
The accused, Badin, 26, from Padang Jawa, Seksyen 16 in Shah Alam, Selangor pleaded guilty after the charge was read out and explained to him before magistrate Nabilah Nizam.
However, the magistrate dismissed his guilty plea after the accused did not admit to the facts of the case as he claimed there were many mistakes.
"As the accused did not admit to the facts, the court cannot accept his guilty plea and will fix a new date for document submissions for trial.
"Bail is also not allowed as the accused is not a citizen and he does not have a (travel) pass in the country," she ruled.
The charge sheet read that the accused had allegedly sexually communicated with the victim aged 17 at a house in Tengkera Pantai 1 between 4am and 5am on April 27 last year.
The charge under Section 11(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017 carries a maximum three years jail term upon conviction.
Earlier, prosecuting officer Inspector Mohammad Naim Abd Jalil applied for a new mention date for document submission.
He did not offer bail as the accused does not have a valid travel document.
Police investigations showed that the accused, a general worker at a shopping mall's toy section, has known the victim since 2022 through the PUBG game.
Throughout the time they have known each other, he was said to have taught the girl obscene acts including sexual communication, masturbation and had exchanged nude pictures, which was discovered by the girl's father.
The father was said to have warned the accused, via voice messages, against disturbing his daughter but it fell on deaf ears and he lodged a police report.
