By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A TEENAGE girl was allegedly raped by a former police reservist at a southern New Providence police station a year ago, jurors heard yesterday.
Superintendent Roberto Goodman said the 13-year-old girl was at the East Street South Police Station for “safe keeping” on July 14, 2018 when Dwayne Decosta allegedly committed the act.
Supt Goodman said it was “peculiar” for Decosta to have been alone with the girl in the station as normally minors would sit in the station’s foyer until officers could contact their parents or guardians.
Had the girl been in custody, said Supt Goodman, the officer-in-charge of the East Street South Police Station, only a female officer would have been allowed to physically interact with her.
Supt Goodman’s testimony came during the opening day of Decosta’s unlawful sex trial before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.
Supt Goodman said he was at home on a day off when he received a call from one of his subordinates, Sergeant 281 Bain, from the East Street South Police Station. As a result, around 2.25 that afternoon, he went to the station where he again spoke with Sgt Bain who pointed out the young girl.
Supt Goodman said as a result of the information he received, he, Sgt Bain and the girl went to his office where he had a conversation with her. Based on what she told him, Supt Goodman said he contacted his superior at the time, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashton Greenslade, and relayed what had allegedly happened. ACP Greenslade then gave him certain instructions, which led to him contacting Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash, the officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit (CDU).
After speaking with C/Supt Cash and receiving certain instructions from him, Supt Goodman said he retrieved surveillance footage from not only the cameras at the police station, but also from the Esso service station across the street. He also said he spoke with a woman inspector at CDU that day.
Supt Goodman said the following day, on July 15, he met Decosta at the station in Sgt Bain’s presence, where he told the man he was suspected of having unlawful sex with a minor. Supt Goodman said Decosta was subsequently cautioned and arrested.
Supt Goodman said Decosta told him that he did interact with the girl because he took down some information about an unspecified incident from her. Supt Goodman said Decosta also said at the time that he saw the girl outside the station at one point, but told her to go back inside.
Supt Goodman said Decosta was ultimately taken to CDU and turned over to officers there for further investigation.
The teenage girl is expected to take the witness stand when the matter resumes today.
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