Child star Tegar's Singaporean manager denies sexual abuse allegations
Allegations that he sexually abused 13-year-old Indonesian child star Tegar Septian are false, said ex-manager Muhammad Arif Dollah.
In an interview with newspaper Harian Metro, he countered that the accusations were an attempt to sully his name.
The 30-year-old Singaporean said he was shocked when he first read Indonesian reports of the allegations.
He told Harian Metro he had received an SMS from Tegar's mother on Feb 23 accusing him of sodomising the teen.
He said:
"I was shocked when I read the SMS.
"I immediately urged her to make a police report and to send Tegar for a doctor's examination."
Tegar's mother did not reply to his SMS, he added.
In a press conference on Wednesday (March 11), the teen star claimed the manager had forced him to sleep in only in his underwear.
He also claimed the adult had kissed him and they had taken a shower together.
The abuse reportedly took place between November 2014 and January 2015 in Kuala Lumpur (KL).
Jakarta Post reported that the child star did not tell anyone about the alleged abuse until he was back in his hometown of Subang, West Java.
Tegar was accompanied by his father and a recording company representative, who said they had sought assistance from Indonesia's National Commission for Child Protection.
Arif told Harian Metro that Tegar had slept in his shorts and they were staying at a friend's condominium in KL during the period in question - adding that the friend would surely have found it weird if he saw them sleeping together in just their underwear.
He, however, confirmed that he had accompanied Tegar when taking a shower but had waited for his young charge outside the toilet door as the latter was scared.
Hit song viewed more than 11 million times
Chairman of the commission, Arist Merdeka Sirait, confirmed to The Straits Times that they have filed a police report yesterday (March 12).
According to him, the police will arrange a medical check on the victim and use the medical report as preliminary evidence to press charges against Tegar's manager.
Tegar, a former street busker, shot to stardom when a YouTube video of him singing his song "Aku Yang Dulu Bukan Yang Sekarang" became a hit. It has been viewed more than 11 million times.
Sources: Harian Metro, The Straits Times, Jakarta Post
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now