In a recent ruling by the Magistrate's Court, a 20-year-old fisherman, Rahmat Rashid, was sentenced to eight months of imprisonment due to his inability to pay a fine following his admission of guilt for possessing 81 obscene images and 13 videos on his mobile phone.

Rashid confessed after the charges were brought before Magistrate Fatin Dalilah Khalid. The accusations specified the possession of explicit images and videos on his phone, allegedly stored at a residence on Jalan Joned on November 9 around 3 PM.

Charged under Section 292 (a) of the Penal Code, Rashid faced a penalty of imprisonment for up to three years or a fine or both, upon conviction.

Police conducted an examination of Rashid's mobile phone following a report of voyeurism, aiming to validate claims of recording individuals bathing. However, no evidence of these recordings was found. Instead, police discovered explicit video clips and images stored on his device.

Subsequently, Rashid was arrested for further investigation into the possession of these inappropriate materials.

The prosecution advocated for an appropriate sentence, leading to the court imposing a RM4,500 fine on Rashid. Additionally, the court decreed an eight-month imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.

Regrettably, Rashid, accompanied by his family, was unable to meet the payment requirement before being escorted to Sungai Udang Prison, Melaka, to begin serving the sentence.

Source: Harian Metro