Popular Antiguan entertainer Harrison Horsford, known professionally as Jesse Fyah, has been ordered to pay compensation to his victim and a fine to the court following his conviction on charges of indecent assault and serious indecency. According to Antigua.news, the sentence was handed down on Thursday, nearly two months after a jury found Horsford guilty of both offences.
Horsford had remained in custody since his conviction in May. Justice Ann Marie Smith ordered him to pay $5,000 in compensation to the complainant and a $3,000 fine to the court. The Director of Public Prosecutions has since signalled the Crown's intention to appeal the sentence, with prosecutors arguing it is too lenient. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
The convictions stem from an incident on October 27, 2020, involving a woman in her early twenties who had known Horsford for several years and had previously shared a casual relationship with him.
During the trial, the court heard that the complainant accepted a ride from Horsford, believing he would take her home. Instead, after a brief stop at his workplace, Horsford drove toward Darkwood, telling her he needed to meet someone about a billboard. No such meeting took place.
Prosecutors said Horsford returned to the vehicle and began making unwanted sexual advances. The complainant testified that he kissed her without consent and, when she resisted, grabbed her by the throat. She told the court that Horsford exposed and touched her breasts, forcibly touched her private area, and told her she "belonged" to him.
Despite repeatedly asking to be taken home, she said Horsford instead ordered her out of the vehicle, leaving her stranded on the roadside. A passing motorist stopped to help and later testified that she was crying, visibly distressed and clutching her clothing when she entered his vehicle. He drove her directly to the Johnson Point Police Station, where she reported the matter.
Horsford denied the allegations, delivering an unsworn statement in which he claimed he had offered the complainant a ride after seeing her standing in the rain. He said the two discussed employment opportunities and that he encouraged her to send him a résumé. Horsford further claimed the complainant later asked him for $3,000, which he refused, before he dropped her off. He also said he only learned of the allegations that evening through a Facebook message accusing him of rape, and responded by warning that his attorney would pursue legal action if false claims continued.
The jury rejected his account, returning guilty verdicts on both counts after less than an hour of deliberation.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Smith noted that Horsford appeared to believe the complainant's perceived sexual history entitled him to treat her as he did. She rejected that notion outright, stressing that every woman has the right to refuse sexual advances and that her decision must always be respected.
Horsford was represented by attorney George Lake. Crown Counsel Curtis Cornelius prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. The Crown's appeal is expected to challenge the leniency of the sentence imposed by the court.
