Taxi driver jailed for sexual crime against stepdaughter

PUTRAJAYA: A 59-year-old taxi driver was sentenced to seven years in prison and one stroke of the cane today by the Special Court for Sexual Crimes against Children.
Judge Yong Zarida Sazali ordered the man who pleaded guilty to inserting a finger into the private part of his stepdaughter aged 16, to serve the sentence from his arrest on Aug 21.
The man committed the offence at a house in Cheras near here at 3am in June 2016.
He was charged under Section 377C A of the Penal Code which carries a jail sentence of not less than five years to a maximum 30 years and whipping on conviction.
Earlier in mitigation, the man who was unrepresented sobbingly pleaded for a lighter sentence saying he was remorseful for his deed, suffered from high blood pressure and short of breath, and was the breadwinner for his family.
When the judge meted out his punishment, he fainted and had to be carried to the lockup by court police personnel and an Indonesian man named Sobar who was facing a different charge.
Meanwhile, Sobar was sentenced to eight years in jail and one stroke of the cane after pleading guilty to raping his neighbour's daughter aged 15 years and nine months at a house in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur at 10.30am on Jan 28 this year.
Based on the facts of the case presented by deputy public prosecutor Ami Syazwani Sarmin, the construction worker, a married man, had initially invited the victim to go with him to the market to buy vegetables but instead brought her to his quarters.
The victim's sister found out about the incident after she became pregnant.
In mitigation, Sobar who was unrepresented said he was repentant for his action and pleaded to be allowed to take care of his very young children and guide them according to the path set by Allah. — Bernama