A 36-year-old man was remanded in custody this afternoon after he pleaded not guilty to allowing his 10-year-old daughter to watch porn films he downloaded on his old mobile phone which he gave her to use.

The man, whose name cannot be mentioned by court order to protect the identity of the victim, was accused of defiling the girl and her friend who had also watched the steamy videos on the phone.

The incident took place on October 1, while the child and a friend were at her father’s home in Rabat.

The man had a child with his partner but the two do not live together. The daughter lives with her mother.

On the day of the incident, the daughter told her mother what she had watched while at her father’s house and the matter was immediately referred to the police for investigation.

Before magistrate Neville Camilleri, the man pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. His defence lawyer, Victor Bugeja, requested bail but police inspector Joseph Busuttil strongly objected because the two minor children still had to testify in the case.

Inspector Busuttil said the girl could not have made up the story because her description of what she had seen on the mobile was too detailed.

Dr Bugeja argued that his client could be ordered not to approach his daughter or the locality where she lived.

Moreover, he argued that the accused could have forgotten that he had pornographic material on the phone.

Magistrate Camilleri turned down the request for bail and the man was remanded in custody.