The Intermediate Court last December sentenced a 36-year-old local man to three years and four months’ imprisonment and four strokes of the whip for kidnapping an 11-year-old boy and committing sexual offences against the child and an 18-year-old man.
Muhammad Firdaus bin Yunus had pleaded guilty earlier to the 3 charges.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Abdul Hanan Haji Erwan revealed that the defendant parked his car at a shopping centre in Kuala Belait at about 9pm on June 17, 2025, when the 11-year-old victim, who was hanging out with the older victim and 2 others nearby to access WiFi, approached the defendant’s car and knocked on his window, to ask if he had money or food.
The defendant did not give the victim anything, causing the victim to approach other vehicles asking similarly.
As it was raining heavily at that time, the defendant then called out to the young victim and invited him inside his vehicle, while saying “Lai kemari lai. Uncle mau belanja” which loosely translates to “Come here dear, uncle will treat”.
The young victim, being vulnerable due to his tender age, entered the vehicle and this act stipulates kidnap.
The defendant then drove to his house and brought the young victim inside.
The defendant then told the victim to undress but the victim refused.
The defendant persisted, ordering the victim to undress and promising BND40 if the victim complied.
Still the victim refused.
The defendant also offered the victim to sleep over at his house, but again was turned down.
It was then when the defendant started touching the victim’s body and private part.
The victim then told the defendant that his mother was a Police officer in order to scare the defendant off.
The victim asked to be sent home and the defendant agreed.
Not long later, sometime between 10 and 11pm, the defendant dropped the victim off near his home where his friends, including the older victim were hanging out.
The defendant then told the young victim to call the older victim over.
When the older victim approached the defendant, he asked him if he had ever watched pornography.
The victim did not fully understood the question and said no.
The defendant offered the victim BND40 to follow him to his house. Intrigued by the offer, the victim complied and entered the vehicle and went to the defendant’s house.
Meanwhile, the younger victim called the police to inform of what had happened to him, followed by a formal police report lodged by his mother.
As the defendant and the older victim arrived at his house, the defendant told the victim to follow him into the house and accompany him to cook some rice in the kitchen.
Soon after, the defendant instructed the victim to apply toothpaste in his mouth and provided a beverage to the victim. The defendant then instructed the victim and forced him to go to the toilet with him.
Inside the toilet, the defendant locked the door and forced the victim to perform sexual acts on him. Out of fear and due to the defendant’s persistence, the victim complied.
While they were in the toilet, a few police personnel arrived on site at about 11.26pm.
One of the policemen then knocked on the main door of the house. After hearing the knock, the defendant then informed the victim to remain quiet and stay in the toilet. The defendant, only wearing undergarments, went to meet with the police. Police investigations led to the arrest of the defendant. The victim was then discovered and rescued by the police.
The defendant admitted to committing the offences during police investigations.
The prosecution also informed Judge Harnita Zelda Skinner that the defendant holds relevant previous convictions.