Currently serving a 25-year sentence for raping a child on four different occasions, Jegede Hodge has filed an appeal, contending that his sentence was “unfair, too severe and excessive.”
In his appeal before the appellate court, the convicted rapist argues that the attorney who represented him at trial, failed to adequately mitigate the sentence imposed upon him.
In the grounds he lists for his appeal, Hodge, through his current lawyer says that the sentence is excessive in all the circumstances of his case.
His case is yet to be assigned a date for hearing before the Guyana Court of Appeal.
Late last year a 12-member jury found Hodge, 47, guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child.
The first count stated that between May 1st and May 31st, 2014, in the county of Demerara, Hodge engaged in sexual activity with a child. It was further alleged that between September 1st and September 30th, 2014, he engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old.
The third count stated that between January 21st, 2015 and December 31st, 2015, Hodge engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old. The final charge stated that between September 1st and September 30th, 2017, Hodge engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old.
Following a trial, Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall handed down separate sentences for each count.
Hodge was sentenced to 18 years on the first count, 20 years on the second count, 22 years on the third count and 25 on the final charge. They were ordered to be served concurrently.
According to a victim impact statement presented to the court, the victim revealed that she contemplated suicide following the first act as she thought that it was her fault.
The court had then heard from the statement, of the victim cutting herself while having thoughts of committing suicide because of what Hodge had done to her.
