Cobbler jailed 15 years for having sex with minor

A Circuit Court in Accra on Friday handed down a 15 year jail term to a Cobbler, Ebenezer Otoo, for having sex with a nine-year-old girl at James Town a suburb of Accra.

Otoo aged 45 years, married with four wives with 14 children was charged with defilement.

He pleaded guilty and asked for leniency.

The court presided over by Mrs Justice Rita Abrokwa-Doko convicted him on his own plea saying his sentence should serve as deterrent to others.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Opoku Aniagyei said the complainant is a 60-year-old trader residing at James Town and the victim is her granddaughter.

He said Otoo also resides in the same vicinity.

Sergeant Aniagyei said the convict used to stay in the same house with the complainant and her granddaughter until recently when he relocated to another house around.

Prosecution said around May 2019, the complainant travelled and left the victim in the care of Otoo and his family.

The prosecution said the victim slept in Otoo’s sitting room for about two weeks before the complainant returned.

According to prosecution one midnight, whiles the victim was sleeping in to Otoo’s room with one of his daughters name withheld, Otoo came to lift the victim from where she was sleeping, placed her on a mattress undressed and had sexual intercourse with her.

Prosecution said Otoo threatened the victim not tell anyone or else he would kill her and this sexual acts continued on a number occasions until February 5, this year.

He said on the said date about 1800 hours, the victim was watching television with the convict’s children, when Otoo presented drinks to his children but asked the victim to follow him to his room for her share, took advantage of the situation and had sex with the victim again.

Prosecution said the victim had blood stains in her panties of which the complainant whiles washing the victim’s panties noticed them and quizzed the victim, who disclosed her ordeal to the complainant and stated that she and Otoo had been having sexual intercourse for some time now.

Prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the James Town Police where the matter was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit.

He said a Police medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek treatment.

The Prosecution said Otoo admitted the offence in his cautioned statement.