A 54-YEAR-OLD man has been fined RM7,000 by the Sessions Court in Johor Bharu after admitting to committing a non-physical sexual offence against a 12-year-old girl earlier this month.
Judge Nor Aziati Jaafar ordered that Ong Sheo Ming serve seven months in prison should he fail to pay the fine. The court also imposed a one-year period of police supervision upon completion of the sentence.
According to the charge, the accused committed the offence by exposing his genitals to the victim for sexual purposes. The incident occurred at a school in Tampoi at approximately 1.30pm on April 1.
He was charged under Section 15(a)(i) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM20,000, or both upon conviction.
In mitigation, Ong appealed for leniency, citing his age and financial circumstances.
“I am over 50 years old and it is difficult to find work, and my wife is an Indonesian,” he said, adding, “I regret my actions and promise not to repeat the mistake and to change for the better.”
The court imposed the fine after considering the accused’s guilty plea, the facts of the case, and the public interest.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Farah Wahida Shahudin, while the accused was unrepresented.
Case facts revealed that the victim had been walking with her cousin when they were approached by the accused, who was inside a black Honda Accord. After asking for directions to a toilet, the victim noticed that the man had lowered his trousers and was holding his genitals.
The incident later went viral on social media, prompting the victim’s 33-year-old father to lodge a police report, leading to the man’s arrest and prosecution. - April 8, 2026
