Youth on trial for alleged sexual offence

A trial has begun for a young man who is accused of attempting to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a child who was under the age of 13, and for having sexual intercourse with her on two separate occasions.

Arion May of Sandy Bay, who was 19 years old at the time of his arrest in 2020, appeared at High Court #1 before Justice Richard Floyd on Friday, January 19, where he pleaded not guilty that between September 30, 2018 and January 1, 2019 he attempted to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under age 13; that between September 20, 2018 and January 1, 2019 he had sexual intercourse with a child under age 13; and between December 31, 2019 and June 29, 2020 he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under 13.

Crown Counsel Maria Jackson-Richards is representing the crown in this matter, while Lawyer Carl Williams represents May only for a specific purpose in the trial. May essentially represents himself.

Seven witness were called, and have already testified in the trial. These are the virtual complainant, her mother, former police officer Cpl 334 Harry, a medical professional, Sergeant 712 Williams, the virtual complainant’s primary school class teacher, and the head teacher of the virtual complainant’s primary school.

A nine-member jury of four males and five females will be adjudicating this matter. The trial is expected to culminate this week.