Man gets over 8 years in prison for molesting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to over eight years in prison after convicting him of molesting his cousin in Mafraq in December of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the nine-year-old boy twice on December 7 and handed him the maximum sentence of eight years and six months in prison.

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

The defendant decided to molest the boy and lured him to an empty school in their area.

"The defendant sexually assaulted the child while threatening him with a knife," court transcripts said.

The child returned home and informed his family of the incident who then 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".

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 Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Qassem Dughmi, Hammmad Ghzawi, Yassin Abdullat and Nayef Samarat.