PETALING JAYA: A storekeeper was charged in the Kota Bharu sessions court today with five counts of sexual assault against his 16-year-old stepdaughter between last December and March this year.
Buletin TV3 reported that the 48-year-old man claimed trial when the charges against him were read before judge Zulkifli Abllah.
The man is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager at their home in Taman Sentosa Badang, Kota Bharu, in December, February and March.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad prosecuted while lawyer Aisyah Abdullah represented the accused.
The court fixed bail at RM20,000 and set Sept 8 for re-mention of the case.