BY EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE attorney of a 27-year-old man charged with having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl argued for his client to receive a two-year imprisonment sentence.
Quincy Edgecombe appeared before Senior Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson on Friday for his sentencing hearing.
Alex Dorsett, Mr Edgecombe's attorney, referred to the Sexual Offense Act, which states that individuals guilty of unlawful intercourse with someone under 14 could face life imprisonment. However, first-time offenders may receive a general imprisonment of seven years.
Mr Dorsett noted that this is Mr Edgecombe's first conviction of this nature, and he pleaded guilty, saving the court's time. Mr Edgecombe's prior convictions include causing harm in 2016 and deceiving a public officer during the COVID-19 curfew, both of which he also pleaded guilty to.
The attorney emphasized that the victim initiated the interaction with Mr Edgecombe and claimed to be 16 when he inquired about her age. He reportedly took her to a friend’s house in Elizabeth Estates to commit the offence on August 14, 2022, but the two had limited communication afterward.
Mr Edgecombe discovered the victim's true age only upon his arrest, and the attorney argued that, had he known her age, Mr Edgecombe would have acted differently. While acknowledging that this is not a defense, he requested the court to consider these facts.
Mr Dorsett also mentioned maturity level.
“He grew up on the island of Acklins and they had schooling up to grade 10. So he's got 10th grade education, hence my point I’m making he would have very well find much in common with perhaps a 13-year-old girl who was really mature for her age”
He said some young men are not mature in their thinking while some young women are.
Prosecutor Basil Cumberbatch countered Mr Dorsett's arguments, stating that Mr Edgecombe cannot use ignorance of the victim's age as a defense.
“I wish to refer to subsection two of the Sexual Offense Act section 10 and subsection two it says notwithstanding the provisions of Section 96 of the penal code, it is no defense to the charge under this section that the person did not know or believe or had not the means of knowing that the other person was under 14 years of age. It is no defense for him to come before this court now and say he thought she was 16,” he said.
Mr Cumberbatch urged the court to consider the need to prevent the individual from committing similar offenses in the future and to ensure deterrence for others.
The prosecutor acknowledged that by pleading guilty, Mr Edgecombe spared the victim from having to testify in court.
The judge said she would consider the arguments and give her ruling on October 23.
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