By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, June 10: A 42-year-old man was fined RM5,000 by the Magistrate’s Court today after he admitted to having child pornography materials stored on his mobile phone.
Nicholas Sim pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan to a charge under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code, which relates to the possession of obscene material. Failure to pay the fine will result in a 12-month jail term.
Acting on intelligence received earlier this year, police conducted a raid at a house on Jalan Bunga Melati on January 27. During the operation, officers detained Sim and carried out a search.
He handed over his phone to the authorities, who later found several explicit images involving minors saved in the device’s photo gallery.
Investigations confirmed that the material was in his possession and not accessed by accident. The court noted Sim’s cooperation during the probe.
While the offence could have carried a prison sentence of up to three years, the court opted for a fine due to mitigating factors, including his early plea and the absence of prior convictions. — DayakDaily
