Gjeblehim Bong Teck Fuu, 31, a former national athlete, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him before Judge Wan Aima Naziha Wan Sulaiman.

The offences were alleged to have taken place last February at a house in Taman Kajang Mewah, Kajang, Selangor. The charges were framed under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 read together with Section 16 (1) of the same Act, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping, if convicted.

The court allowed the accused bail of RM15,000 with one surety and set July 25 for mention of the case.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nor Shazwani Abdullah while counsels Michelle Liu and Vam Shir Mooi represented the accused.

Bong was arrested on May 11, a day after the complainant lodged a police report.

Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation department chief Habibi Majinji said in a press conference that the victim might have kept silent about the abuse and tolerated the suspect’s advances as he was her coach.