TAWAU : An unemployed man was arrested by the police yesterday, suspected of raping a 14-year-old teenager at a residential area in Balung, near here, last week.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Jasmin Hussin said the arrest was made following a report lodged by the victim's mother at 4.36pm last Wednesday.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was said to have been living with the suspect, who is also her boyfriend, before the alleged act occurred on Nov 16.
"The suspect was arrested by a team from the Tawau police headquarters' Criminal Investigation Department about 1.30pm in the Balung area yesterday," he said in a statement.
Jasmin added that further investigations are ongoing, and the case is being investigated under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
"We urge the public, especially parents, to remain vigilant and ensure that underage children are not left unsupervised or allowed to stay with unknown individuals," he said.