Man sentenced to 5 years in jail for sexually assaulting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of sexually assaulting a teenage boy after sedating him in Irbid in October 2019.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the 17-year-old boy who worked in the same barbershop with him on October 1, and handed him the maximum sentence. 

Court papers said the defendant befriended the teenage boy then asked him for some construction help at his apartment and he agreed.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant took the victim to his apartment and offered him a cup of tea “in which he slipped a sleeping pill”.

"The victim woke up the following day and found himself naked and discovered that he was sexually assaulted," the court stated.

Shortly afterward, the defendant arrived at the apartment and gave the victim a pack of cigarettes and JD2, according to court transcripts.

However, the victim engaged in “a heated argument” with the defendant then immediately alerted his mother about the incident, the court added.

The minor’s mother took him to the Family Protection Department for further legal follow up, the court stated.

Samples were taken from the victim and later determined through a DNA test that it belonged to the defendant, according to court papers.

The defence lawyer contested the investigation’s proceedings arguing that the court relied on weak evidence. 

The criminal court prosecutor failed to provide any solid evidence that would "connect my client to the charges," the lawyer argued.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court’s general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the ruling, stating that the court abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures when sentencing the defendant and that he deserved the verdict he had received.

It was also proven through scientific evidence that the defendant assaulted the victim, which proves that “the investigation procedures were accurate”.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Hammad Ghzawi, Ahmad Qatawneh, Nayef Samarat and Saeed Mugheid.