TWO sharply contrasting views were expressed on Tuesday by residents of a community in St Catherine about a Roman Catholic priest who has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force confirmed on Tuesday that the 39-year-old priest, who is from Kenya, was arrested on July 5 and later charged in relation to four counts of sexual assault. The charges include sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16, sexual touching, grievous sexual assault, and abduction of a child younger than 16 years old.

When the Jamaica Observer visited the community on Tuesday, some people vouched for the priest, saying there is no way he could have even thought of doing such evil.

“Me a defend the pastor,” one woman said. “He is a good man who goes around and helps the people in the community. If he gets anything from Food For the Poor, he goes around and issues it at everybody’s yard who have children. He is a very nice man. When I saw it in the news I said, ‘No sah.’ “

Another woman said, “There are a lot of female band members associated with the church who shape good and look good, so why would he look at that little girl.”

In contrast, others said anything was possible, especially when children lacked good parental supervision and guidance.

One of the residents commented that “he is supposed to be a man of God and his name should not have been called on something like that any at all”.

It is alleged that the girl was befriended by the priest and lured to his house, where the reported assault was said to have occurred. The priest’s dwelling is on the same property as the church at which he was serving.

Police have appealed to people with information that could assist the case to come forward.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston has said that it will be cooperating fully with the relevant authorities in the matter and expressed “deep concern for all parties involved in the reported incident”.

“Acknowledging the implications and seriousness of the case, the archbishop immediately removed the priest from all active pastoral ministry in the diocese. We await the outcome of this investigation. All parties remain in our prayers; may God grant us clarity,” the church said.