Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Jones is to return to court on Monday when Mrs. Justice Marva McIntosh will decide whether she will offer him bail.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday slapped five charges of trafficking in persons on 46-year-old former church deacon Donovan Jones and the three male teenagers charged jointly with him with the sexual molestation of a 14-year-old schoolgirl.

They were taken from the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday to the Home Circuit Court where bail applications were made for them.

The juveniles were offered bail in the sum of $100,000 each with sureties, while 18-year-old James Rodgers was offered bail in the sum of $250,000 with sureties. They are to return to court on October 5 when the case will be mentioned.

Monday court date

Jones, 46, an ex-deacon of the Church Dayton Diamond Ridge, at Dayton Avenue, Kingston 10, is to return to court on Monday when Mrs. Justice Marva McIntosh will decide whether she will offer him bail.

It is being alleged that there was an agreement for Jones to pick up the girl from school. The allegations are that, on April 25, 26, 27 and 28 and on May 1, the girl was sexually assaulted in a van driven by Jones and the incidents video-recorded.

The four were first charged in June with carnal abuse. The juveniles pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault. Jones and Rodgers were charged with carnal abuse, aiding and abetting carnal abuse, indecent assault and assault with intent to rape. Jones was also charged with cruelty to a child and conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

The four were charged yesterday under the Child Care and Protection Act under which the maximum sentence for human trafficking is life imprisonment.