A 37-YEAR-OLD man was charged on Thursday with molesting a young girl at a church in July.

Emil Kuah Kuan Boon, a designer, is accused of inserting his right fingers into the panties of the nine-year-old girl to molest her at the third level of the premises at about 6pm on July 14.

He was represented by Mr P.E. Ashokan, who told the court he had just been briefed and would be making representations.

Bail of $20,000 was offered.

As a condition of bail, District Judge Danielle Yeow ordered him not to approach the victim or the family if they were known to him.

The plump and bespectacled man's passport is impounded.

The case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on Oct 10.

The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail or fine or caning or any two such punishments.