Thirty-two-year-old Ivor Laud now awaits sentencing after being unanimously convicted by a jury yesterday afternoon on charges of raping a young girl during 2015 and again in 2017.
After hours of deliberations the 12-member jury returned with verdicts, finding Laud guilty on both counts of rape of a child under 16 years.
The charges were that he raped the child between March 1st and 31st, 2015 when she was eight years old; and then again between August 1st and 31st of 2017 when she was 10.
Laud was 26 years old when he first abused the child.
The prosecution’s facts in relation to the first count are that the accused had lured the child who was known to him, to his home, under the pretence of having something to give to her.
While in the house, Laud took the child to his room where he raped her, and then sent her home to “wash up.”
The state’s case is that the abuse which at times included oral sex, continued until August of 2017.
The court had heard that on all occasions, Laud’s wife and children were not at home.
Justice Jo-Ann Barlow who presided over the trial has deferred sentencing to March 18th for the presentation of a probation report and victim impact statement.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Georgetown Sexual Offences Court.
The state’s case was led by Prosecutor Sarah Martin, in association with Nafeeza Baig.
Laud was represented by attorney Racheal Bakker.
