Lapu-Lapu attack: Man, who punched, molested boy, nabbed

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A 25-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly mauled and sexually molested a 7-year-old child and student in a barangay in Lapu-Lapu City on Monday afternoon, February 12, 2024.

The man claimed to have a learning disability and a person with a disability (PWD).

Lapu-Lapu police arrested the suspect after the child’s parents reported what the man did to their son.

READ: Lapu-Lapu attack: Man, who mauled, molested boy, nabbed

Investigation showed that the child was walking home from school at past 4 p.m. when he met the suspect, who forcefully dragged him to an abandoned house in the area.

The suspect allegedly punched the victim’s stomach, choked his neck, and forced him to lie down while the suspect lay on top of him.

Fortunately, the child managed to convince the suspect to let him go and he would pay him P100.

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After escaping from the suspect, the child hurried home and informed his parents about what the man did to him.

The parents then reported this to the police at past 7 p.m., who in turn, arrested the suspect.

In an interview with DYSS Super Radyo the suspect, he admitted the crime, however, he said that he didn’t know what he had done.

“Padung man gud ko uli unya nasundan nako ang bata unya nahikap gyud nako iyang atubangan gyud. Natuok nako siya ug ako siyang nasumbag. Ambot lang nganong nabuhat nako to,” the suspect said.

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(I was also heading home and I followed the child and I really touched him in the front. I also choked him and punched him. I did not know why I did it.)

The suspect apologized to the parents of the victim and appealed to its parents to no longer pursue the filing of charges against him.

Police said that the suspect would be facing child abuse charges.