Mohd Hamdan Yasin, 38, made the plea after the charges were read out to him before Judge Ahmad Bazli Bahruddin.

On four of the charges, he was charged with committing physical sexual assault on three girls, aged between nine and 13, at the welfare centre between April 2019 and September last year.

All charges were framed under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping.

On the fifth count, Hamdan and his wife, Nor Adila Zakaria, 35, who was the caretaker of the centre, were charged with abusing a 13-year-old boy at the centre on March 17 this year.

The two, who have two children of their own, aged one and 12, pleaded not guilty to the charge, framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act.

Hamdan was not allowed bail, while his wife was allowed bail of RM15,000 with one surety and also ordered to report herself at the nearest police station once a month.

The court set May 10 for mention.

Deputy public prosecutor Hajarul Falenna Abu Bakar prosecuted, while the couple was represented by lawyer Zuhaidie Akmal Hasan Basri.