Kingston pastor/principal found guilty of raping receptionist
A Kingston pastor/principal is facing prison time for raping his receptionist/teacher on the job in 2014.
He was convicted in the Home Circuit Court on Thursday last week, following an eight-day trial, which began on March 22 before a judge and jury.
In the allegations outlined by the prosecution, led by Crown Counsel Dwayne Green, the complainant, who was 24 years of age at the time of the incident, met the man who headed a small educational institution in Kingston while on a job hunt.
According to the woman, she went to his school to make inquiries on a day in 2013 and was made an offer by him the same day to come on board as a receptionist/teacher.
She told the court that on a day in January 2014, whilst she was at work, her employer, who is a married man, dragged her into the kitchen at the premises and had sexual intercourse with her without her permission and without a condom.
The accused man, in an unsworn statement from the dock, however, denied that he raped the woman and maintained that he had sexual intercourse with her, but with her permission.
A character witness for the school leader said she “knew him for many years and he was a stern man”.
Last Thursday, the jury, by a unanimous verdict, found him guilty of rape after deliberating for just over two hours.
He is to be sentenced by Justice Annmarie Lawrence Grainger on May 19 this year. A social enquiry report and antecedent report were ordered by the court. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing. The convicted man was represented by defence attorney Peter Champagnie, King’s Counsel, and Sayeed Bernard.
In order to protect the identity of the victim and the school the Jamaica Observer is withholding the name of the convicted man.