Life imprisonment for man who defiled minor

A 22-year-old bodaboda rider who took advantage of his service to lure a 10-year-old girl into pre-mature sex has been imprisoned for life.

This is after a Oyugis court found Kevin Omondi Otieno guilty of defiling the minor.

He was charged of committing the heinous act contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2006.

In the first count, the court heard that Otieno defiled the minor intentionally and willfully against the law. He committed the offence on December 4, 2019 at Kamwania Sub Location in Rachuonyo North Sub-county.

In the second count, Otieno was charged with committing an indecent act with the child.

The court was told that he intentionally and willfully "touched private parts of the minor at the same place and date against the law."

Otieno denied the charges on December 5 last year when he took plea. This forced the court to rely on four witnesses who produced evidence against him.

The witnesses revealed how Otieno lured the minor by giving her a free ride on his motorbike.

He later took advantage of the free ride to entice the girl into sex before defiling her.

 Oyugis Senior Resident Magistrate Celesa Okore ruled that the evidence presented was adequate to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that Otieno defiled the girl.

“Even though the accused person pleaded not guilty at the onset of the case, the evidence produced in this honorable court reveals that he committed the offence. He will therefore serve life imprisonment,” Okore delivered the judgment.

The rider was given 14 days to appeal before he was taken to Homa Bay prison.

However, in his mitigation, Otieno pleaded with the court to allow him serve the sentence under probation that would allow him visit his late mother's grave site.

He argued that his mother died when he was remanded, hence it would be important for him to see where she was buried.

The convict also argued that serving the sentence on probation would also enable him contribute in providing livelihood for his family.

The sentence is expected to serve as a warning to other men in Homa Bay- one of the counties with the highest rate of teen pregnancies and defilement.