Police probing if suspect held in kidnapping case a paedophile

Editor’s note: This article has been amended on Aug 9, 2024 to remove the girl’s name.

Police are investigating the motive behind the kidnapping of a six-year-old girl, including the possibility that the male suspect, who has been rearrested, is a paedophile.

Johor police chief M Kumar said the investigation followed the discovery of various sex toys, adult pornography and child sexual abuse material at the suspect’s home in Kulai.

“Our focus is on these findings, and we hope to determine the motive soon,” he said at a press conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters today.

Kumar said the suspect is also believed to have acted alone in the kidnapping of the child.

When asked if the girl would undergo further health checks, he said there was no need to do so, as past medical examinations have confirmed that the victim did not suffer any injuries.

He added that the suspect has been remanded for six days from yesterday.

The case is being investigated under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and Section 292 of the Penal Code.

The suspect’s initial 13-day remand ended on Aug 4, after which he was released on police bail. He was rearrested following the discovery of this new evidence.

Police apprehended the suspect at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor, on July 23 and rescued the girl, who went missing in the Eco Galleria area of Iskandar Puteri on July 20.

- Bernama

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