A 32-year-old man of Nadi has been sentenced to 18-months imprisonment by the Levuka Magistrates Court for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2011.
The man had pleaded not guilty to the offence.
According to the summary of facts, the victim and her cousin were walking back from church when the man stopped the truck and said that he could drop them off.
On the way, the man touched the victim indecently and also kissed her.
As mitigation, Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne considered that the man is married with two children, reconciled with the accused, is a first offender and was also remorseful.
Magistrate Somaratne said the victim who is 14-years-old got into the truck trusting the driver to drop her home but the man exploited her vulnerability by subjecting his lust.
He said the man was aware that the victim was helpless to resist his advances in the truck and used that to his advantage.
The Magistrate said this behavior needs to be denounced with a custodial sentence.
