Rape suspect held in Chaguanas

UPDATED:

Less than a day after a Morvant woman reported to police that she had been sexually assaulted by a man who befriended her on Facebook, the suspect was held on Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect was taken to the Chaguanas police station, where he was interviewed and is expected to be placed on an identification parade. His cell phone was seized by police during his arrest.

According to reports, Central Division police went to Edinburgh 500 shortly after 5 pm on Wednesday and searched a house where the 24-year-old suspect was found.

The man allegedly begged for a chance saying he was not guilty of any offence and was being framed.

On Tuesday, a 22-year-old Morvant woman told police she had been befriended by a Chaguanas man on Facebook two weeks ago and during that time was asked out on a date. She said the man asked her to collect tickets for a boat ride and she agreed.

The woman said, at about 1.30 pm on Tuesday she met the man at Maraj Street, Chaguanas and he led her to a nearby apartment on the pretext he would give her the tickets. It is alleged it was then he raped her and left.

UPDATED - NOV 1st, 10:00 pm:

A Morvant woman was raped on Tuesday in Chaguanas by a man whom she met and hooked-up with via social media website Facebook two weeks ago.

The victim said she struck up a conversation with the man whose online name is “King”. They conversed almost on a daily basis and at times, spoke late into the night, the woman later told police.

She said that during a conversation over Facebook, the man invited her to go on a boat ride with him and she agreed. He also asked her to collect the boat ride tickets at Maraj Street in Chaguanas on Tuesday. The woman said she travelled from Morvant to Chaguanas that day and met “King” at Maraj Street at 1 pm.

The woman said she recognised the man as being the same person whom she struck up an online friendship with and he took her to an apartment, saying the tickets were in there. Once inside the apartment, the man overpowered and raped the woman before leaving. The victim said after she composed herself, she made her way back to Morvant where she reported the rape to police.

Later on Tuesday, she was interviewed by WPC Joseph of the Chaguanas police and then taken to the Couva Health Centre where a medical examination was done and a report submitted to police. When police went to Maraj Street, they found the apartment locked. Officers from the Cyber Crime Unit are assisting investigators and police believe the rapist will be arrested shortly.

Contacted for comment, ACP (Crime) Irwin Hackshaw said the police continue to advise the public, especially women and schoolgirls, to be very careful with what they post online and to whom they communicate with over social media. He said that just as a lot of good has come about with the advent of social media, so too, a lot of bad people are using this medium to seek out targets.

Hackshaw said social media users need to apply basic common sense when interacting with others, especially strangers, online. Obviously, the senior policeman said, you would not give out personal details or show private photos to a total stranger in real life, so why then would you consider doing that over social media?

“I am advising women and men to be careful of people who portray themselves via social media as being a type of person they are not in real life. Social media is useful but it is also fraught with danger if you allow yourself to fall victim to these criminals on the other side of the computer or phone or tablet,” Hackshaw said.

His sentiments were echoed by ACP (Central) Surujdeen Persad who said every effort is being made to find the suspect as there is a suspicion this may not be the first time he has lured women via the social media medium into meeting with him and then being assaulted.

ORIGINAL STORY - NOV 1st, 11:50 am:

A 22-year-old Morvant woman was raped on Tuesday afternoon by a man she met on social media two weeks ago.

The victim reported the matter to the Morvant police. Central Division police were alerted and the investigation was transferred to them.

The victim told police she met the suspect on social media and they began communicating on a daily and nightly basis. She said the man, whose alias was “King,” asked her to accompany him on a boat ride, and she agreed. He also asked her to collect the tickets at Maraj Street, Chaguanas, on Tuesday.

She said she travelled from Morvant to Chaguanas on Tuesday afternoon and met the man at Maraj Street.

She recognised him from his photo on social media and was taken to an apartment at Maraj Street around 1.30 pm. While there, he overpowered her, sexually assaulted her and left.