DUSHANBE, October 19, 2015, Asia-Plus -- A 23-yar-old resident of the village of Ruknobod, which is subordinate to the northern city of Panjakent, J.B., has been jailed for raping underage girl.

The Sughd regional court sentenced J.B. to 16 years in prison on October 18.

Judge Anvar Vositzoda, who presided over the trial, says J.B. was charged with abducting a person for sexual and other types of exploitation (Article 130 (3) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code) and raping (Article 138 (3).  J.B. will serve his term in a high-security penal colony.

Vositzoda says J.B. on July 4, 2015 took a 16-year-old girl to mountains, where he was holding her in a cave against her will.  He was reportedly raping the girls two days running before she managed to escape.