A fisherman who is accused of indecently assaulting a ten-year-old girl was remanded to prison yesterday when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Forty-year-old Leslie Gomes, well known as ‘Julie Boy’, of Hururu Mission, Berbice River, pleaded not guilty to the charge of indecently assaulting a ten-year-old girl.
It is alleged that on September 28 at Hururu Mission, Berbice River, Gomes saw the girl naked in a room and took off his shirt and began gyrating on her. A policeman, who was passing, reportedly saw Gomes in the act and immediately took him off the child and arrested him. The prosecution further stated that Gomes might have been drunk at the time of the incident.
However, Gomes said the allegations against him were all fabricated and were being used as a weapon to tarnish his daughter’s recent successes. He explained that his daughter had won the Miss Hururu Pageant over five other girls and the contestant who placed last was jealous of his daughter’s success at the pageant as well as topping the class.
“Your worship they trying fuh spite me cause they know if I go to jail I can’t help me daugta fuh go ta school,” said Gomes. Magistrate Robertson ordered that Gomes be remanded to prison and to return to court next Thursday. Gomes was later escorted out of the courtroom saying, “Ow Your Worship I don wan she to drop outta school.”