KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — A man wearing a cartoon costume pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court in Kota Bharu on Thursday to a charge of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl.

The accused, Mohd Fariz Ibrahim, 37, made the plea after the charge was read before Judge Nik Habri Muhamad, according to a report published in Sinar Harian today.

According to the charge, he committed the offence at the Pantai Irama Playground, Bachok at about 6.20pm on September 11 of last year.

The offence was committed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, if convicted.

The court did not grant bail to the accused and set October 23 as the next mention date for the case.

The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.