Five men charged with abuse of American boys at St Bess boarding school
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – Five men were arrested and charged on Friday in connection with abuse allegations by American boys at Atlantis Leadership Academy in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
The men were held following special operations and targeted raids in the Pedro Plains policing area.
Those charged are Courtney Williams, 51, from Sandy Bank district; Carson Cox, from the said district; Edison Morris, 39, from Great Bay district; and Odane Maxwell, 30, from Holland Village district, all in St Elizabeth.
Also charged is 23-year-old Damion Herrera, a footballer from Gordon Pen in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
The men were slapped with charges including assault occasioning bodily harm, cruelty to a child and assault at common law. Police said their court dates are being finalised.
Reports are that between midday and 3 pm, seven police officers conducted the operations in search of wanted men in relation to reports of assault, child abuse and other offences.
The reports were made by eight American boys, who were being housed at the American-run boarding school.
Police said the suspects were located, arrested and taken into custody. The operations ended incident-free.
Eight boys, ages 14 to 18, were earlier this year removed from the boarding school by Jamaica’s Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) in response to abuse allegations.
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Seven of the teens are currently in the custody of Jamaican child welfare authorities. The 18-year-old was sent back home in February.