JOHOR BARU: Police rearrested a 31-year-old man, previously released on bail, for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of six-year-old girl from the Bon Odori festival, in Iskandar Puteri, last month.
The suspect was arrested today, after police found various sex toys, adult pornography, and child sexual abuse materials at his home in Kulai, said a police statement today.
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) refers to sexually explicit content involving a child.
Visual depictions can include photographs, videos or computer-generated images indistinguishable from a specific minor.
Johor police chief Commissioner M. Kumar said the suspect is investigated under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for accessing or possessing child sexual abuse materials, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both.
The man is also investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possessing obscene materials, punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
The man rearrested today was the fifth suspect in Leo's kidnapping case.
He was detained at 4.55am on July 23 at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor, when police rescued the girl from the location.
The suspect was initially remanded for seven days, with an additional six-day extension for investigation under Section 365 of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Four other suspects, aged 28 to 55, were previously arrested and remanded for four days until July 26, after which they were released on police bail without further extension of their remand.
Earlier, Kumar said investigations behind the motive of the July 20 kidnapping were yet to be established.
He urged parents to monitor their children's activities and emotional wellbeing closely to detect and prevent sexual crimes against minors.
He also encouraged the public to stay informed about current crime trends and educate their children on the dangers, particularly on social media.
Anyone with inform to assist investigations are urged to this contact the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or its Operations Room at 07-2212999.