Judge Tasnim Abu Bakar imposed the sentence on the 19-year-old boy after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The teenager was accused of physical sexual assault on the 12-year-old victim by groping her hair and back for sexual purposes in the lift of an apartment in Taman Desa here at 4.38pm on June 10.

He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and caning, upon conviction.

According to the facts of the case, the teenager had groped the victim while she was in the lift with her 10-year-old sister.

The victim and her sister then got out of the lift on one of the floors and told their mother about the incident, following which a police report was lodged leading to his arrest.

Earlier in the proceedings, Nur Khalidah Ab Hamid, a community development officer from the social welfare department, presented a report on the teenager’s behaviour.

It highlighted findings from interviews with the teenager and his parents, revealing factors such as their living environment and peer relationships that contributed to him engaging in unlawful behaviour without considering the repercussions.

Khalidah recommended a six-month, 120-hour community service order for the teenager to help develop a more mature mindset and encourage him to consider the consequences before engaging in any unlawful actions.

“Considering the teenager is a passive person who is not good at adapting to the environment and also daydreams a lot, this punishment is appropriate to return him to society,” she said.

Khalidah also suggested that he be enrolled in the Skills and Career Programme @ CSO for career development.

Deputy public prosecutor Ikhwan Nasir appeared for the prosecution, while the teenager was unrepresented.