Man handed 3-year jail term for molesting minor

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a January Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to three years in prison after convicting him of molesting a minor in Amman in November 2018.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting the 16-year-old boy on November 13 in Marka and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim met via social media.

The two agreed to meet to “engage in sexual activities and they met in Marka”, court papers said.

"The victim rode in the defendant’s vehicle and they engaged in sexual activities," court transcripts said.

The matter was disclosed when a police patrol spotted the two and arrested the suspect, court documents added.

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 the punishment received is appropriate, the higher court ruled.

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

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Khashashneh, Yassin Abdullat, Hammad Ghzawi and Nayef Samarat.