By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A JET ski operator was charged yesterday with raping an American tourist near Junkanoo Beach on Tuesday last week, days after the United States had warned about sexual assaults involving watercraft vendors in The Bahamas.
The Tribune reported the allegation last Thursday. The matter was not reported in any of the daily police crime reports.
On Sunday, police press liaison Chief Superintendent Sheria King told this newspaper the matter was under investigation.
Nicklas Major, 25, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on one count of rape yesterday.
Prosecutors allege he had non-consensual sexual intercourse with a 23-year-old woman on April 1.
The alleged assault came shortly after the US Department of State updated its travel advisory, warning that jet ski operators are poorly regulated and citing multiple reports of sexual assaults involving vendors.
The advisory prohibits US government personnel from renting jet skis or personal watercraft from independent operators on New Providence and Paradise Island.
Major was not required to enter a plea. His case will proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment scheduled for July 24.
He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Inspector Deon Barr was the prosecutor.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.