PETALING JAYA: A tuition teacher was charged in two Sessions Courts here today with six counts of committing physical sexual assault and unnatural intercourse involving three male pupils in the capital recently.
M D. Sebastian, 46, who is also a primary school teacher, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Judges Azrul Darus and Muhammad Ilmami Ahmad.
Sebastian was charged with four counts of committing physical sexual assault against three 11-year-old boys at a house in Kampung Muhibbah, Jalan Puchong, here, between July and September.
The charges were brought under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
He also faces two charges of committing unnatural intercourse with one of the victims at the same location between 5.30pm and 6pm on Sept 18 and 30.
The charges were brought under Section 377C of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
The court granted bail of RM40,000 with one surety for all the charges, subject to additional conditions prohibiting him from contacting or interfering with the victims and witnesses, requiring him to surrender his passport to the court, and directing him to report to a police station every month until the cases are concluded.
The court fixed Nov 23 and Dec 18 for the next case mentions.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors Suloshani Vijendran and Mohamad Ikhwan Mohd Nasir, while Sebastian was represented by lawyers Mansheel Kaur and Harvind Singh.
On Oct 16, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus confirmed the arrest of a man on Oct 10 to assist investigations into alleged physical sexual assault and unnatural intercourse involving five male pupils. The alleged offences were said to have taken place at the suspect’s house, which was used as a tuition centre.
In a separate case before Judge Azrul, an Indonesian labourer, Mohammad Habit, 37, pleaded not guilty to a charge of committing physical sexual assault against a 15-year-old female student.
The offence was allegedly committed in the women’s prayer room at a multi-storey car park in Sentul between 6.30pm and 7pm on Oct 4. The charge was brought under Section 14(a) of the same Act.
The court denied bail to Mohammad Habit and fixed Nov 23 for the next case mention.
Suloshani handled the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer Tharamjit Singh.