Tobago PNM distances itself from sex texts to teen

Chairman of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Tobago Council Stanford Callendar has distanced the political party from any wrongdoing on the heels of an ongoing investigation by officers of the TTPS Child Protection Unit about a series of inappropriate text messages sent to a 15-year-old secondary school boy from a social media account of a well-known political activist and Tobago House of Assembly (THA) employee.

Screenshots of the conversation between the 34-year-old alleged offender and the schoolboy were sent to Newsday.

Responding to questions posed by reporters at today’s PNM Tobago Council press briefing at their Scarborough office, Callender said he anticipated the question.

“I anticipated your question because in this country, people try to find scape goats.

“This political party, of which I am chairman, is not a paedophile. This political party is not guilty of any such thing.

This Government brought laws in this country to protect children and we are strengthening our legislative agenda to deal with all such issues.”

Callendar was adamant the issue had nothing to do with the PNM.

An officer of the Tobago Child Protection Unit told Newsday the matter was being investigated by the police.