Policeman accused of sex with child to be extradited from US

The police officer who fled this country in 2013 after investigations began into the alleged sexual assault of his daughter is to be extradited from the United States (US).

Earlier this month, Judge Daniel Stewart of the United States District Court-Northern District of New York ruled that the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) had met the requirements for the former Special Services Unit (SSU) officer to be extradited.{{more}}

The former police corporal, who was working as a school bus driver in the US when he was detained, rose to notoriety back in February 2013, when he fled this jurisdiction after investigations began into the alleged sexual assault of his daughter.

During the last week of January 2013, the man’s eight-year-old daughter was admitted to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), complaining of abdominal pains.

After being examined by doctors, tests performed on the child indicated that she had been infected with gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection. According to a source, when questioned, the girl told medical personnel that her father was the person who had abused her. The police were immediately contacted by a social worker at the MCMH, but no action was taken to bring the officer in for questioning until the first week in February, by which time, the man, who has two other daughters, had left the state.

Questions were asked as to how was the police corporal able to leave the state, when officers under the rank of sergeant, must obtain written permission from the Commissioner of Police, to present to Immigration officials at the port of exit.

A source told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that at the time the man left SVG for the US, local authorities tried to stop him from entering the US, but his name was not found, as US authorities were searching for him on a US visitor’s list, which is different from the green card holders list.

Meanwhile, in his absence, the man, whose name cannot be mentioned because of the nature of the offence, was charged with incest for actions allegedly committed against his young daughter between January 1, 2007 and January 21, 2013. He was also charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, allegedly committed between January 1, 2007 and January 21, 2013 and indecent assault allegedly committed on January 21, 2013.

Karim Nelson, prosecutor in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that the former police officer has been in US custody “a while now”.

Nelson explained that the process to have the accused extradited took three years, because there were some issues which they had to resolve, but now everything has been completed.

The prosecutor explained that the Court made an order showing that there is sufficient evidence and that he should be extradited.

“The matter would be heard at the Family Court when he lands in St Vincent. He should be in SVG by October; he would be detained and taken to court at the next convenient date,” Nelson said.