Suspect in Albertine Leo Kidnapping Rearrested After Child Pornography Discovered in Home
JOHOR BARU: A 31-year-old man, previously released on bail, has been rearrested in connection with the kidnapping of six-year-old Albertine Leo Jia Hui from the Bon Odori festival in Iskandar Puteri last month.
The arrest occurred today after police discovered various sex toys, adult pornography, and child sexual abuse materials at his home in Kulai, according to a police statement.
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) refers to sexually explicit content involving a minor.
Johor police chief Commissioner M. Kumar stated that the suspect is being investigated under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for accessing or possessing CSAM, which can result in a prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both.
The suspect is also being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possessing obscene materials, which carries a potential penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
This individual, rearrested today, is the fifth suspect in Leo's kidnapping case. He was initially detained at 4:55 am on July 23 at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor, when police rescued the girl.
Initially, the suspect was remanded for seven days, with an additional six-day extension for investigation under Section 365 of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Four other suspects, aged 28 to 55, were previously arrested and remanded for four days until July 26, after which they were released on police bail without further remand.
Kumar mentioned that the motive behind the July 20 kidnapping is still under investigation. He urged parents to closely monitor their children's activities and emotional well-being to detect and prevent sexual crimes against minors. He also encouraged the public to stay informed about current crime trends and educate their children about the dangers, particularly on social media.
Anyone with information to assist investigations is urged to contact the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or its Operations Room at 07-2212999.
Visual depictions of CSAM can include photographs, videos, or computer-generated images that are indistinguishable from an actual minor.