Court upholds over 9-year sentence for man over sexual misconduct with minor

AMMAN — The Cassation Court upheld a Criminal Court decision to increase the prison term of a man who engaged in consensual sexual activities with a minor in Amman

The Criminal Court handed the defendant a seven-year prison term after convicting him of engaging in sexual activities with a 17-year-old victim over 15 times.

However, the court decided to increase the sentence to nine years and four months because the “defendant caused the victim to lose her virginity”.

The defendant was originally sentenced to 33 years and four months in absentia.

But when he was arrested and retried by the Criminal Court, he was sentenced to over nine years for the offence of engaging in sexual activities with a minor that caused the victim to lose her virginity.

Court documents said the victim worked at the same establishment the defendant worked at.

The two developed a relationship and “the defendant convinced her to sleep at his house,” the court said.

In their first time alone, the court maintained, “the defendant offered the teenage girl alcohol then engaged in sexual activities with her,” according to court documents.

The two continued to meet at the defendant’s home where they engaged in consensual sexual activities, the court transcripts maintained.

“The defendant promised to marry the victim but instead he disappeared prompting the victim to file a complaint against him,” according to court transcripts.

The defendant did not contest his verdict. 

Meanwhile, The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling.

The Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s judgment fell within the law, that the proceedings were proper, and that the sentence was satisfactory.

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Nayef Samarat, Hayel Amr and Qassem Dughmi.