MUAR: Two men with disabilities pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court to sexual harassment of a 16-year-old disabled girl.
Sayyid Muhammad Nazrul Mohd Najib, 21, and his 22-year-old accomplice, Abdul Warith Tuhanizam, made the plea before Judge Sayani Mohd Nor.
The court imposed a fine of RM8,000 on Sayyid, or an alternative sentence of eight years' imprisonment if the fine was not paid.
Warith was fined RM3,000, with three months' imprisonment as an alternative if the fine was not settled.
Prosecutors had pushed for a harsh sentence to deter such offences, emphasising the victim's vulnerability due to her disability.
Both of the accused, who were not represented by legal counsel, however, paid the fines.
According to the case facts, the offences occurred between Dec 6 and Dec 8 in Pagoh, between 10.03pm and 12.35pm, when Sayyid allegedly sent explicit images to the victim and exposed himself.
He was charged under Section 15(e) and 15(a)(ii) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (SOAC) and faces a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of RM20,000, or both.
Warith, meanwhile, was charged with possession of child pornography.
He was accused of possessing pornographic videos of children who were sexual assault victims, while he was interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Division, Muar district police headquarters at 9.30pm on Dec 10.
He was charged under Section 10 of the SOAC. Warith had also sent the pornographic videos to the victim.
The girl's guardian had lodged a police report on Dec 9.