Man says he did not sexually assault child

Douglas ‘Benedict’ Pompey, the Calliaqua man accused of sexually assaulting an primary school girl says that he is innocent and the only reason he is being targeted is because he was once charged with a similar offence.

Pompey also told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, while surrounded by a few friends {{more}}who are supporting him, that persons in Calliaqua are alleging that the child was not assaulted and he is being set up.

SEARCHLIGHT attempted to talk to the child’s mother but she refused to comment and was extremely hostile while the child’s aunt, also hostile, said that she was in no way willing to say anything that will make Pompey look innocent.

But according to Pompey, he could not have done what the child’s relatives are accusing him of, as on Thursday, April 14, the night that the assault is alleged to have taken place, he was at a Karaoke session at the SOV Nightclub in Villa, a function that was also attended by the grandmother and mother of the alleged victim.

He said he was told that the following day, when the mother of the child was bathing her daughter, she noticed the child’s bottom was bleeding.

Pompey says that the child was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), “to the doctor, and I don’t know what happen after that, but yesterday (Tuesday, April 19), I came from work and my phone ring and it was my brother and he had heard people saying I lock up for the whole day and he want to know why I did not call them.”

Pompey said he was not locked up, but shortly after, he learned that there was a posting on social media site Facebook saying that that he had sex with a little girl on Thursday night, April 14.

“… So I want to know how that happen Thursday night and we went Karaoke…

“I get to understand that the little girl was questioned and all person name was called and they ask if is Benedict and she say no is not Benedict, but they saying the way she jump up and saying is not Benedict, they believe is me. The girl saying is nah me but them saying is me,” alleged Pompey.

“People say the child tell them is some boy in school and they were supposed to carry she back in school to check out the boy and they never check out the boy.

“It make me feel bad, the thing dey all over America, all on Facebook, all around and that make me feel bad. Two Cool and dem have it all over the radio station and all the radio station have it beating down,” said Pompey.

‘Two Cool’ is a reference to Chris ‘2 Cool’ Jones, one of the hosts of Hot 97.1 FM’s morning program.

Pompey said that on Wednesday after his name was being bandied about, four police officers came to his workplace and told him they wanted to take him to the Calliaqua Police Station and he went freely.

He said he was questioned by police and later released without being charged.

Pompey stated that the police told him he could go and when he was released he learnt the child was taken to the Calliaqua clinic and it is alleged that the child was not violated in the manner previously suspected.

“…I get to understand that the child was damaged from being constipated,” claims Pompey.

“I want my name clear because it making me look bad,” said Pompey who revealed that about four years ago he was charged for having sex with a 12-year-old and given 15 years in prison by Justice Bruce Lyle at the High Court in Kingstown, a conviction and sentence that was overturned on appeal.

“I spend four years twelve days in jail innocent and when I appeal the case, it was false rumour against me and they release me. There was no evidence against me. The person was 12 years old, so I feel because of that now when this thing come up they blaming me. I don’t know nothing about what they saying,” stressed Pompey who was beaten on Tuesday night by a relative of the child.

Pompey’s friend Terrence ‘Chiney’ Harry said that when he heard about the incident and his friend’s name was being called he doubted it from the start.

“I was saying to myself that I don’t believe Benedict do this thing,” said Harry who is of the opinion that if the child was assaulted by an adult as the parents are claiming, there should have been more injuries.

Harry said that he is also bothered with the way the various radio stations ran with the story.

“The way they running it on the radio they need to get the facts straight. St Vincent is the only place I see people saying things about people and you can’t sue them,” said Harry who added that persons should get facts before placing things on Facebook and radio stations.

He also said he is not pleased with his home town of Calliaqua being associated with such an allegation.

His sentiments are shared by another of Pompey’s friends, Carlton Culzac.

“I know the guy and I feel to myself from the time I heard, that he is innocent of this kind of act. I don’t believe that a guy I grew up with, I am 63 years of age and I don’t believe he involve in that and I think we have to get our stuff together before we start spreading it on radio,” said Culzac.

Up to press time, Pompey was not charged with an offence but an officer attached to the Calliaqua Police Station told SEARCHLIGHT that the matter is still under investigation.