MELAKA: A man was sentenced to seven years jail and two strokes of the cane by the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to rape and sexual assault of an underage girl, whom he met on TikTok.
Judge Darmafikri Abu Adam meted out the sentence against Muhammad Hazziq Ramdan, 20, after hearing the guilty plea.
In his ruling, he said he had weighed the facts of the case, the accused's appeal as well as the prosecution's argument on the severity of the punishment.
"The offence is a serious one as it involved a minor who became pregnant and later gave birth.
"I have also taken note of the increase in such cases nationwide. As such, the court is compelled to mete out a stern punishment as a lesson to the accused as well as the public not to repeat such offences in the future," said the judge.
In the first charge, the accused was charged with raping the 17-year-old girl in a unit at the Sri Siantan flats near here at 3pm sometime in February.
He was charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.
In the second charge, the accused was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with committing sexual assault against her at the same time and place.
The offence carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the victim delivered her baby in the toilet of her home on Nov 18 around midnight. Both mother and child were then taken to the Melaka Hospital for treatment.
The girl's mother then lodged a police report after the incident.
The girl had told her mother that she was coerced into sex by the accused, whom she had met on TikTok.
The suspect was subsequently arrested on Nov 23.
In court, he had appealed for a lighter sentence as he said he wished to take care of the victim and the baby.
Deputy public prosecutor, Aliff Asyraf Anuar Sharuddin, however, asked for the sentence to commensurate with the offences.
The accused will serve his jail term concurrently from the date of his arrest.