Man gets three years in prison for molesting teenager

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to three years in prison after convicting him of molesting  a teenage girl in Irbid in November of last year.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the 16-year-old girl on November 24, and handed him the maximum punishment.

Court papers said the victim met the defendant in September of the same year while he was doing some construction work at her school and developed a relationship with her.

“The defendant and the victim met on several occasions and he informed her that he wanted to marry her,” according to court papers.

During their final meeting before the matter was exposed, court papers added, "the defendant undressed the victim and molested her".

When the victim returned to her school, the court maintained, "the school principal saw her and immediately alerted the authorities".

The victim was taken to the Family Protection Department where the attending government physician took swabs from the victim's body, the court documents added.

Upon analysing the swabs, the court maintained, "it was proven that the DNA found on the victim's body belonged to the defendant". 

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling charging that “the Criminal Court based its decision on suspicious evidence and inconsistencies with the victim's testimonies,” according to court documents. 

However, the higher court rejected the defendant’s argument and ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures when sentencing the defendant and that he deserved the verdict he received.