A church Bible study teacher has been convicted of sexually abusing a child at least three times from the age of 11.
Henry Cooper was found guilty of rape, aggravated sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault in Home Circuit Court on Monday.
He is due to be sentenced on June 16.
The worst of the three incidents happened on March 9, 2018, when Cooper raped the then 12-year-old girl before asking her to perform a sex act on him, according to evidence presented during the trial by prosecutor Syleen O’ Gilvie, an assistant. Director of Public Prosecutions.
The child was among five witnesses who testified at the trial.
The verdict of the seven-member jury was unanimous.
At the time of the sexual assaults, the child was living with his adoptive parents, who were also the leaders of the church in downtown Kingston, where Cooper conducted Bible studies for children.
Cooper regularly visited the child’s adoptive father, who is also the church pastor, at the family home of St Andrew’s to “pray for the business of the church”, the prosecutor told the court.
The first incident happened in 2017 when the child was 11 years old.
Cooper went to the family home while both parents were away and touched the child on his private parts.
The second incident happened on March 6, 2018, when the then 12-year-old was preparing for primary school exams and attending an evening class at the house of a blind community guardian.
Cooper also used his hand to touch the child on his private parts.
Another attack took place three days later at her home while her father was sleeping inside.
Cooper went home and saw the 12-year-old boy sitting at the top of a flight of stairs.
He pulled her towards him, but she told him to “let go”.
Instead, he dragged her down the stairs to a private area, pulled down the bottom of her clothes, pressed her against a wall, and forcibly had sex with the child.
He also caressed her before asking the child to perform a sexual act on him.
The child told his caregivers who were with Cooper when he turned himself in to police on March 13, 2018.
– Livern Barrett
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