Jamaica: Man convicted of abusing two young girls to be sentenced on May 19

Jamaica: The entire community is finally relieved as a 54-year old man will be sentenced in court on May 19 after he was charged and convicted for sexual intercourse with two minor girls. The crimes took place over seven years ago, between 2018 and 2019, in Manchester.

Justice Grace Henry McKenzie in the Manchester Home Circuit Court came to a decision last Thursday, following a two week trial. A jury of seven found the defendant guilty of a total of ten charges for the abuse of the two girls, who were 6 and 8 years old, at the time of the offense.

According to police reports, the suspect was found guilty of three charges of sexual touching of a minor, four charges of grievous sexual assault, and three charges of sexual intercourse with a person under 16, during last week’s court hearing.

Sexual intercourse, both forced and consensual with a person under the age of 16, is a serious offense in Jamaica and is treated separately from the offense of rape.

The identities of the suspect and the victims have not been made public due to the sensitivity of the case and the ages of the girls.

Crown Counsel Alice-Ann Gabbidon and Nyron Wright led the prosecution for this case. They presented evidence in the court, accusing the defendant for using his position of trust to exploit the children.

It was revealed that the incidents transpired at several different locations, which included the man’s home, the children’s homes, and an abandoned building in the area. During the trial, the prosecutors also shared that some of the abuse occurred when the man picked the children from school or while he was in charge of watching them for their parents.

The abuse came to light in March 2019, when the eight year old victim told her elder sister. She then talked to their mother, who contacted the other child’s parents and reported the incident to the police. An investigation was immediately launched, which resulted in the Perpetrator’s arrest on March 22, 2019.

Despite the presence of sufficient evidence, the man still denied the accusations. Represented by attorney Ashford Meikle, the defendant said that the mothers made the kids lie to gain control of a home which he was looking after.

After a thorough investigation, the suspect was charged and kept in police custody. His next court hearing will be on May 19, where he will be given his sentence.