Senior citizen Isiah Hutson, 68, has been sentenced to life in prison for raping a three-year-old.
His sentence was handed down yesterday morning by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon who lamented the tender age of the child, stating that Hutson deserved nothing but the maximum penalty.
Justice Kissoon has ordered that the convict undergo counselling for sex offenders, but underscored that it also be specifically tailored for paedophiles.
Underscoring the prevalence of rape and sexual offences especially against minors, Justice Kissoon said that it was as equally grave as the most serious offences of murder and treason.
He said that the age and vulnerability of the child needed to be considered, even as he stressed that the now eight-year-old as well as her mother must continue to receive psychosocial support from their counsellor.
Justice Kissoon said that Hutson must first serve 18 years before being considered eligible for parole.
Hutson had been charged with raping the toddler sometime between January and February of 2019.
He was 63 years old at the time.
The child the court had heard during the trial, had related to her mother what Hutson had done with his fingers and penis and where on her body he had placed them.
Following the conclusion of his trial, a jury found Hutson guilty as charged for raping the child.
The trial proceedings were held in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Demerara.
The State was represented by prosecutor Marisa Edwards, Abiola Lowe and Yonika Rowland.
Meanwhile, the offender was represented by defence lawyer Ronald Bostwick.
