Man charged for touching eight-year-old’s bum

Magistrate Douglas Frederick yesterday sought to explain to an accused why he could not offer him bail on an indecent assault charge at this time.

“This is a serious charge. This is so serious that even criminals will frown on such alleged behaviour; this is how serious it is,” the District ‘A’ magistrate told Robert Ricardo Neblett, of 2nd Avenue, Thomas Gap, St Michael.

The 53-year-old is accused of committing the act against a minor on August 12. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

In objecting to bail, Sergeant Kevin Forde pointed to the seriousness of the offence.

“Indictable – that alone speaks to the gravity of the offence. The nature of the offence is that it is alleged that the accused pushed his hand through a window and touched the buttocks of an eight-year-old girl,” the prosecutor said, adding that Neblett needed protection from the community at this time.

Forde also pointed out that there had only been a two-year hiatus since the accused’s last offence.

In making his bail application, Neblett told Frederick he was released in July from prison where he had been held on a theft charge.

“It was a misunderstanding. I was fixing a back window. I saw a plastic bag and I was fixing it because it was down,” he said, even though he was unable to tell the magistrate who had requested that he fix the window.

“I would like you to grant me bail . . . because I just get out of jail . . . . I refrain myself from that kind of activity,” Neblett added.

When he was informed that he would not be granted bail, the accused requested a paper committal for the charge against him to be sent to the High Court.

He was remanded to reappear in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court September 19.