Repeated child molester receives toughened sentence

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling sentencing a repeated offender to five years in prison after convicting him of attempting to molest an Egyptian boy in Zarqa in October in 2018.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the 12-year-old boy who was returning home from school on October 21 and handed him a three-year prison term.

However, the court decided to increase the prison term to five years because the defendant was a repeat offender.

Court papers said the victim was returning home from school and was attempting to board a bus “when the defendant approached him and dragged him away”.

“The defendant took the boy to a secluded area and attempted to molest him but the child started screaming for help,” according to the court transcripts.

Bystanders rushed to the area and saw the defendant and the child and immediately contacted the police who came and arrested him, court papers added.

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

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Majid Azab, Yassin Abdullat and Nayef Samarat.