Repeat sex offender sentenced to 7 years in jail

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May Criminal Court ruling sentencing a repeat sex offender to seven years in prison after convicting him of molesting a teenager in a Zarqa neighbourhood in July 2016.

The court declared the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman after snatching her to a deserted area in a Zarqa neighbourhood on July 6.

The defendant was sentenced to six years in prison for the offence, but his sentence was reduced to three years because the victim dropped the charges against him.

However, the Criminal Court added, “since the defendant was previously convicted of sexual assaults and is considered a repeat offender, the tribunal decided to increase his prison term to seven years”.

On the day of the incident, court papers said, the defendant, who had consumed alcohol, snatched the victim from the street and took her by force to a deserted area.

“The defendant undressed the woman by force and began molesting her but someone saw the altercation and alerted the authorities,” court papers said.

When police arrived to the scene, the court maintained, “the defendant resisted arrest but was eventually pinned to the ground and arrested”.

The Criminal Court attorney general had asked the higher court to uphold the verdict, stating that the defendant deserved the punishment he had received.

The higher court agreed and said the Criminal Court’s proceedings were accurate and the defendant deserved the punishment he received.

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Tarawneh and Bassem Mubeidin.