KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino was sentenced to 12 years in jail and five strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court here for sexually assaulting an underaged Filipina.
Najmi Tangan, 24, pleaded guilty before Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan to committing the offence against an undocumented 15-year-old girl at an unnumbered house in Jalan Pintas, Penampang at 4pm on May 20.
The offence under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 provides a prison sentence of up to 20 years and caning, upon conviction.
The court also ordered Najimi, who is undocumented and unemployed, to be referred to the Immigration Department after serving his sentence.
The facts of the case stated that Najmi met the victim's parents in May this year at a premises in Penampang, and he had claimed to be a cousin of the girl's father from the Philippines.
On May 20, Najmi called the victim's mother asking whether her daughter wanted to find a job. The facts of the case said the accused tricked the mother to give the victim's number by telling her that he knew about a job offering a RM1,200 salary.
Najmi later called the victim and informed her that he had booked an e-hailing car for her to go to the Imago shopping mall.
However, when the victim got into the e-hailing car, the driver told her that the destination was actually Plaza 333. The victim met the accused at Plaza 333 and the latter tricked her to go to an empty house and sexually assaulted her and punched the victim causing her to faint.
The victim woke up to find her phone and pocket money missing, and sought help. Najmi was arrested on May 27.
Deputy public prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus prosecuted.