By Rasbert Turner, Gleaner WriterSPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
A 34-YEAR-OLD junior minister of religion of the Rehoboth Apostolic Church in Independence City, Portmore, St. Catherine, reappeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, on a charge of carnal abuse.
He is alleged to have committed the offence against his 14-year-old stepdaughter. He was ordered remanded until tomorrow.
The junior minister is alleged to have held down the complainant on June 10, 2003 around 2:30 p.m., after the child was left in his care while her mother ran an errand. When the mother returned, it is alleged that the child related the ordeal of how the junior minister assaulted her by pulling her down on a bed and having sex with her.
A report was made to the Caymanas police who launched an investigation which led to the arrest of the accused man. When he appeared in court Tuesday, both the complainant and her mother were in court. His lawyer applied for bail, but he was remanded until today when the case will again be mentioned.
When he first appeared in court on July 8, he informed the court that the church will be providing him with legal representation. Yesterday, he was represented by a lawyer but it is not known if the church was responsible for this.
