Pastor jailed 20 years for defiling JHS student

Akim Swedru (E/R), Sept 7, GNA - A circuit Court at Akim Swedru in the Birim South District has sentenced Paul Nkansah, head pastor of the Jesus Faith Tabernacle Prayer Centre, Akim Achiase, to 20 years imprisonment for defiling a 15-year-old student.

Nkansah pleaded guilty to defilement and was convicted on his own plea. Presenting the facts of the case to the Court, presided over by

Mr Yaw Atta Sampong, Police Chief Inspector Adelaide Appiakorang said the complainant (name withheld) is a form one student of a Junior High School at Akim Oda.

Chief Inspector Appiakorang said sometime in July this year, the victim's mother and sister became ill and were sent to the pastor at Akim Achiase for spiritual healing.

She stated that on July 15, the girl visited her mother at the prayer camp and when Nkansah saw her he claimed that he had a vision that the girl was being tormented by the 93spirit of prostitution" and could expel it through deliverance.

The Police Chief Inspector said as at 0100 hours the following day, Nkansah accompanied the 15-year girl to a hilly site near the prayer camp to bath her.

On their return to the prayer camp, she said, the victim went into a room to dress up but Nkansah forcibly entered and demanded to have sex with her and when she refused, Nkansah struggled with her and sprinkled some powder on her face to put her to sleep.

When the victim woke up, she realised the convict had defiled her, the prosecutor said, as there was spermatozoa around genitals.

Nkansah her warned not to inform anybody otherwise she would die yet but the victim made a report to the Police who arrested the convict.