Malaysian Man Faces 15 Charges for Kidnapping, Confining, and Sexually Abusing 6-Year-Old Girl
A 31-year-old unemployed man in Malaysia has been slapped with a total of 15 charges in three separate court sessions in Johor Bahru for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and sexual abuse of a six-year-old girl. Leang Win Son, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, is accused of committing the heinous crimes on July 20.
According to reports, Leang was handed two charges in the first session at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court, where he was accused of abducting the girl from her mother or legal guardian at Eco Galleria, Taman Botani in Iskandar Puteri. The incident allegedly occurred at 8:30 pm on July 20. If found guilty, Leang may face up to seven years in jail and a fine.
Johor Bahru : Suspek utama kes penculikan budak perempuan enam tahun, Albertine Leo Jia Hui, 20 Julai lalu tiba di Kompleks Mahkamah Johor Bahru di sini, bagi menghadapi 15 pertuduhan. – VIDEO NSTP/Nur Aisyah Mazalan pic.twitter.com/R61UmGzfZ0
— Berita Harian (@bharianmy) August 8, 2024
In the same session, Leang was also charged with wrongful confinement of the girl, who was allegedly held captive in a hotel room in Batang Kali, Selangor, at around 4:45 am on July 23. If convicted, he may be sentenced to up to two years in jail.
In a separate session, Leang faced six charges before Judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman, including the alleged possession of 5,317 child sexual abuse images and videos found on two secure digital (SD) cards, one hard drive, and a mobile phone at a residence in Kulai on July 24. If found guilty, Leang may face up to 15 years in jail and caning.
Additionally, Leang was charged with two counts of alleged possession of 30 images of child sexual abuse found on a mobile phone in a Batang Kali hotel room on July 23. If convicted, he may be sentenced to up to five years in jail or fined up to RM10,000 (S$2960), or both.
Leang was also accused of non-physical sexual abuse after allegedly forcing the girl to expose her body for his viewing at the hotel between 12:30 pm on July 22 and 4:45 am on July 23. If found guilty, he may face up to 10 years in jail or fined up to RM20,000 (S$5,923), or both.
In a separate session at the Kulai Magistrate’s Court, Leang was given seven charges of allegedly owning pornographic material found in his Kulai residence on July 24. If found guilty, he may face up to three years in jail or a fine, or both.
Despite pleading not guilty to all charges, Leang’s lawyer requested a lower bail, citing that he is currently unemployed and relies on his 58-year-old mother, who is a single parent with no regular income. The court granted a RM50,000 (S$14,800) bail, with conditions that Leang does not contact prosecution witnesses, reports monthly to the nearest police, and surrenders his passports.
A document submission hearing for the case has been scheduled for September 12. The case has sparked widespread outrage and concern over the safety and well-being of children in Malaysia. The authorities have assured the public that they will do everything in their power to ensure that justice is served and that the perpetrator is held accountable for his heinous crimes.