77-year-old imprisoned for defilement

Tema, Jan 18, GNA -- A 67-year-old tailor was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Tema Circuit Court "B" for defiling a 14-year-old girl.

Charles Botwe initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty.

He said he was in his kiosk where he sews when the girl came to him one evening and asked him to have one round of sex with her. He refused but later gave in when she insisted.

The convict prayed the court for forgiveness.

Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor, the prosecutor, told the court that the accused lived in a kiosk he used as his workshop in Tema while the girl also sells iced water.

She said in 2004 the accused bought 500 cedis worth of iced water from the victim and promised to pay later. At 1900 hours that same day when the victim went to collect her money, he lured her into the kiosk and forcibly had sex with her. After the act the convict gave the victim 15,000 cedis instead of the 500 cedis she went for and warned her not to mention what happened to anybody.

The prosecutor said the accused continued to have sex with the victim until December 1, 2005 when someone spotted her and reported her to her parents who informed the police.