Kuala lumpur: A teacher was charged at the Sessions Court here today with two counts of committing physical sexual assault on a male student, earlier this month. Muhammad Izzuddin Mohmad Asari, 31, however, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out separately before Judge Mohd Zul Zakiqudin Zulkifli.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the man was charged with committing physical sexual assault on a 13-year-old boy at a hotel here at 8 am, June 4, based on the first and second charges. For the first charge, he was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and caning. The second charge was also under the same act, Section 14(d), which provides for the same punishment.

The court then allowed the accused to be bailed at RM12,000 with one surety for both charges and ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station every month, besides setting July 23 for case mention. The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nur Aisyah Mohamad while the accused was represented by lawyer Abdul Hayyi Salim.