No bail for man on sex charge

A MAN was refused bail this morning by a magistrate for sexually touching a 17-year-old girl.Marcus Thomas, 32, of Union Village, Claxton Bay, was arrested on Wednesday by police from the Child Protection Unit (South). He was taken before senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor, and the charge was read to him was that between January 1 and March 31, he sexually touched the girl.

The charge was laid indictably by WPC Hadasa Hamilton of the CPU. Connor told Thomas he was not called upon to plead because the charge was laid indictably.

She then read another charge that, based on a warrant for his arrest, he owed 243 weeks' worth of maintenance to a relative, which amounts to $48,800, owing since 2014. Connor granted Thomas $20,000 bail to be approved by a clerk of the peace for this charge.

On the sex charge, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said as a condition of bail, Thomas must at no time whatsoever get in touch with the victim.

Thomas told the magistrate he will stay with an uncle in La Romaine.

Connor told him the court has to remand him into custody until May 16, when he must have the uncle come to court to confirm Thomas can stay with him.

She transferred the case to the Family Court, San Fernando.