A MAN was sentenced to 263 years in prison and 20 lashes after pleading guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court today to 32 charges of committing sexual crimes against his now 16-year-old stepdaughter over the past three years. 

The swimming instructor was sentenced after all the charges were read out by a court interpreter in two separate proceedings before Judge Dharmafikri Abu Adam and Judge Mohd Sabri Ismail. 

However, the court ordered the sentence against the 36-year-old accused to run concurrently for 35 years starting from the time of his arrest on April 8. 

The accused pled guilty to 11 charges under Section 376(2)(D) of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 30 years and whipping for committing rape. 

The accused also pled guilty to eight charges under Section 377 CA of the same code for having sex using an object without the victim’s consent, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 30 years and whipping.  

On another 12 charges, the accused pleaded guilty in accordance with Section 14(A) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 that provides for up to 20 years in prison and whipping for committing physical sexual abuse against the teenager. 

The accused also pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code that provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and whipping for raping the same victim after she was above the age of 16. 

All the offences were committed between January 2020 and March 14, 2023, at their home in a housing estate in Jasin. 

The prosecution was handled separately by the deputy public prosecutors N. Siva Shangari and Muhammad Nazrin Ali Rahim while the accused was not represented by a lawyer. – Bernama, May 15, 2023.