A former athlete has been found guilty of two counts of serious indecency against his young daughter, with sentencing scheduled for July 24. According to Antigua.news, the verdict was delivered following a trial before Justice Ann Marie Smith in the High Court.
The man cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim. The jury found him guilty of two separate acts involving the child but returned a not guilty verdict on a third count of indecent assault, as reported by Antigua.news.
The charges relate to incidents alleged to have taken place between April 2022 and April 2023, during a period when the child was residing with her father. Prosecutors told the court that the alleged acts began sometime after the child's eighth birthday.
During the trial, the child took the stand and testified that the incidents occurred on occasions when her father's girlfriend was absent from the home. She told the court that her father would invite her into his bed and instruct her to remove her clothing.
The court also heard from the child's grandmother, who described an incident in which the child was found hiding in a closet in a state of distress when the accused arrived to collect her.
Both the child and her grandmother rejected suggestions by defence attorney Wendel Alexander that the allegations had been fabricated.
Justice Ann Marie Smith is expected to deliver her sentence on July 24.
