A 62-year-old security guard, who allegedly lured a teenaged schoolgirl into a house at D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown under the pretext of taking her shopping, was on Monday slapped with a carnal knowledge charge.
On Monday afternoon, Khemraj Jaikaran was taken before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The case was heard in-camera owing to the nature of the offence. Jaikaran, of Hardenveldt, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, was charged with the sexual penetration of a minor, allegedly occurring on February 16, 2017 at D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown.
The prosecution is contending that Jaikaran took advantage of a ‘friendly’ relationship by pretending he would accompany the girl to purchase a school bag, but instead he took her to the premises, falsely imprisoned her in a room, and committed the act.
The mother of the schoolgirl, upon checking with the school, realised that her daughter was not there, and the teen later related the details of the incident when questioned.
However, contradicting the prosecution’s case was defence Attorney Jerome Khan, who claimed that the allegation was concocted by the child’s mother. Khan argued that the woman had left her phone to charge at the alleged crime scene and had sent the young girl to pick up same. When Jaikaran related that the phone had already been collected by someone else, the woman demanded some $5000 from him (to replace the phone), but he refused to pay her the stipulated sum.
According to the lawyer, the woman further attempted to solicit $300,000 from the man by fabricating a tale of sexual assault against her daughter.
In a bail application, Khan stated that his client was not a flight risk, with no pending or prior convictions. He added that Jaikaran was married, with several children and grandchildren, and thereby requested bail in a reasonable sum in these circumstances.
Bail was refused by the Chief Magistrate, and the accused was remanded to prison. The case will continue on May 22.
