A 30-year-old man has been charged after he reportedly molested his stepdaughter and recorded it. The accused was taken into custody by the St. Catherine North police on December 20.
Police are investigating allegations that the accused had an inappropriate encounter with his female partner’s seven-year-old child. Police brought him into custody after receiving information alleging inappropriate conduct. Reports also say law enforcement was alerted to material said to show the alleged incident.
Police said he was formally charged with offences including child pornography and unlawful sexual touching after a question-and-answer session conducted in the presence of his attorney. A court date has not yet been set.
The recent arrest comes months after the courts handed down a lengthy sentence in a separate but similar case involving a St. Catherine-based taxi operator. In July, a 44-year-old male driver was sentenced in the Home Circuit Court after pleading guilty to multiple charges connected to long-term abuse involving his daughter and stepdaughter, as well as offences against another child who lived nearby.
In that case, the man was convicted on a range of offences, including rape, sex with a person under 16, incest, child pornography-related offences, and trafficking in persons. When the sentences are combined, they equal over 100 years. However, the court ruled that the sentences will run concurrently, making him eligible for parole after serving 33 years and eight months.
Court documents indicated that the offences came to light after a parent reported disturbing material to the police. An investigation was launched, leading to his arrest and his appearance in court with attorneys Denise Hinson and Stefan Matthews representing him. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Malike Kellier.
During sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements describing the emotional toll of the abuse and the relief felt once the matter was exposed. A psychiatric evaluation later found the convicted man to be mentally stable.