Duo on rape charge

Two men have been remanded to Dodds Prisons after being charged with raping a 15-year-old boy.

Remy Rock, a 35-year-old photographer of Small Land, Bridge Gap, Black Rock, St Michael and sales representative Jerry Husbands, 54, of 1st Avenue Goddings Road, Station Hill, St Michael, appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday jointly charged that on August 22, 2023, they had sexual intercourse with the minor without his consent, knowing he did not consent or were reckless as to whether he consented.

Husbands, meanwhile, is separately charged that he knowingly allowed a male under the age of 16 years to be in his dwelling for the purpose of having sexual intercourse with him.

The accused were not required to plead to the indictable offences.

Station Sergeant Randolph Boyce said the two were not fit candidates for bail, pointing to the strength of the evidence against them, the need to protect children and that the matter involved two adults and a minor.

He said that Rock was on bail on a similar matter, had been in a position of trust, and could interfere with the witness.

Rock’s attorney Ensley Grainger argued there was no evidence that his client would not attend court, adding that remand would not serve any purpose and that bail conditions could be applied.

In addition, he said, the accused had previously been charged with buggery, the law against which has since been deemed unconstitutional.

Making a bail application on behalf of Husbands, defence lawyer Amoy Gilding-Bourne, appearing in association with Senior Counsel Michael Lashley, asserted that the serious nature of the offence cannot be enough to deny bail, saying that bail is a human right and there is a presumption of innocence.

She also highlighted that Husbands was not known to the courts and was willing to comply with conditions.

However, Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes remanded them both to prison and adjourned the matter until April 16.