Foreign man held after 13-year-old girl allegedly molested in Kalabakan

Tawau police apprehended a foreign individual approximately five hours subsequent to an alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in Kalabakan on the morning of this day. The district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Rosdi Mat Jusoh, stated that the suspect, presumed to be in his forties, was apprehended by Kalabakan police at 9:45am.

He disclosed that police had received information about the incident prior to initiating a search to locate the suspect. In response to the intelligence, a team from the Kalabakan police station apprehended the foreign man, believed to be in his forties, near a cluster of shops adjacent to the Kalabakan roundabout at 9:45am on the same day.

Rosdi clarified that the incident transpired at 4:40am when the victim, who was present at a shophouse, reported that a man approached her. She stated that the girl cried out for assistance and resisted before the man allegedly struck her before fleeing. Rosdi noted that the suspect was without any identification documents. The investigation is being conducted under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792).

He urged parents and the public to remain vigilant regarding the safety of children and to promptly furnish any information to the police if they are aware of or suspect any behavior that might endanger children.