By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, April 21: A welder was fined RM5,000 by the Magistrates’ Court here today after he pleaded guilty to possessing pornographic videos on his smartphone in an incident that took place early last year.
Albert Abum, 34, entered the plea before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan after being charged under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code for having obscene content in his possession.
According to the charge, the offence took place around 4.15pm on Jan 24, 2024, at Jalan Pelabuhan, where Albert was found with pornographic material stored on his iPhone 15 Pro.
The law provides for a punishment of up to three years in prison, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Case facts revealed that acting on a tip-off related to suspected child pornography, a senior police officer conducted a check on the accused.
Although the initial investigation was based on suspicions of child-related content, authorities only found pornographic material on his device, with no confirmation of child pornography.
Albert was arrested at the scene, and his phone was seized for further investigation.
He reportedly admitted to obtaining the videos through WhatsApp and told investigators that he had a habit of watching and keeping such content, but denied any involvement in sexual acts involving minors.
The case was prosecuted by Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin. Albert was unrepresented during the proceedings. – DayakDaily
