No bail for coach accused of molesting boy, 12
TAHIR Dudley, a track and field coach at the Windward Road All- Age School in Kingston, was on Tuesday remanded in custody on a charge of buggery after the Rockfort police accused him of sexually molesting a 12 year-old boy from the school.
When Dudley appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court, he was refused bail by the court for a number of reasons, among them, the issue of safety.
For example, the court was told that the accused man lived very near to the school and, in light of the nature of the charges, the judge ruled that he should remain in custody for his own safety.
This decision preceded arguments by the boy’s guardians who told the court that as a result of the incident, they have had to remove him from the school as he was the victim of taunts by his schoolmates.
The court was also told that the boy is to sit the GSAT examinations this March and that he has been psychologically affected by the act and counselling was being sought for him.
The prosecution argued that Dudley enticed the child to his home on January 21 with the promise of a pair of spikes. However, the boy never made it home as Dudley is reported to have taken him into bushes and sexually molested him.
When the child went home, a relative noticed him behaving strangely and questioned him, the court was told. The child then related his ordeal to the family member, the prosecution told the judge.
The following day, the child and his relative went to the school and made a complaint to the principal of the school, Marjorie Harris.
According to a statement made in court by the child’s relative, Harris was not co-operative as she told them Dudley was not in the school’s employ and discouraged them from going to the police. The relative added that she went to the police anyway.
Harris was subpoenaed by the presiding magistrate, Jennifer Straw to be in court on February 3, when the case will next be called up.
“I need to hear from this principal,” RM Straw remarked as she made the order.