Man gets five-year prison term for molesting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting a minor in Tafileh in September 2019.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the 14-year-old boy twice in early September in Tafileh city and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim lived in the same neighbourhood.

The defendant decided to molest the boy and lured him to a deserted building.

"The defendant sexually assaulted the child on September 1 and agreed to meet with him a few days later," court transcripts said.

During the second time, the child informed his family of the incident and they alerted the authorities, the court documents added.

The victim's family filed a complaint at the Family Protection Department, according to court papers.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the sentence against the defendant "because the punishment he received was proper".

The defence, meanwhile, asked the court to acquit his client because "the court relied on weak evidence".

The defence also charged that "the victim agreed to the sexual acts with the defendant and, therefore, they should acquit my client", the court added.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

It was proven to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to engaging in sexual activities with the minor and therefore deserves the punishment he had received, the higher court ruled.

The SSC added that even if the victim is "engaged in sexual activities willingly, but under the Jordanian Penal Code he is considered a minor", the court papers added.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Naji Zu'bi, Yassin Abdullat and Saeed Mugheid.