News Desk, Jakarta – The Pademangan Police in North Jakarta announced they arrested a 19-year-old man on Friday for allegedly molesting at least six boys.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said the families of six victims, boys ranging from 10 to 13 years old, had reported similar cases against the accused, identified only as HS.
Yusri claimed that HS admitted he had molested six boys, in line with the cases reported to the police. The crimes had occurred over the past 10 years, apparently starting when HS was 9 years old, Yusri said.
Despite HS' confession, the police said they would further investigate the case. "Within 10 years, there could be more victims," Yusri said on Tuesday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
The alleged molestations were revealed at the end of December last year when a victim, an 11-year-old boy, was able to escape. The boy reported the molestation to his parents.
The police also claim that HS' had been accused of a similar crime in the past, but at that time the victim's family decided to settle the case out of court.
Speaking on the same occasion, North Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budhi Herdi Susianto said HS claimed to have himself been a victim of molestation when he was in third grade at elementary school.
HS has been charged under the 2002 Children Protection Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment upon conviction. (sau)