The Kumasi circuit court has sentenced a 28-year-old man to 10 years in prison with hard labour for sodomising a 12-year-old boy at Asawase in the Asokore Mampong municipality of the Ashanti Region.

Seidu Alhassan, alias Mallam Babanta, a trader, was charged with defilement contrary to section 101(2) of the Criminal Offences (Act 29) 1960.

The court presided over by Comfort Tasiame, noted that the prosecutor had proven that the accused committed the offense, thus, convicted him.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Timothy Amoako, told the court that the convict is a relative to the victim's father and resides with them in the same house at Asawase.

He said barely four months ago, the victim [name withheld] returned from school but could not meet the parents at home.

The convict lured the little boy into his room under the pretext of giving him money to buy food. It was there that he forcibly had anal carnal knowledge of the boy and told him he would die if he ever revealed it to anyone.

On 26 February 2018 at 4 p.m., the accused person sodomized the victim for the second time.

He had two more rounds on 1 March 2018 and 3 March 2018.

On 6 March 2018, the mother of the victim, who is the complainant, noticed some physical changes in the victim’s body and upon interrogation, the little boy belled the cat.

A report was made to the Asawase police station and the accused person was subsequently arrested and later brought to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) unit of the Manhyia police station for investigation.

During the investigation, a witness in the case also confirmed that somewhere in 2016, the accused person forcibly had anal carnal knowledge with him and offered him GHS20 for it.

In the accused person’s caution statement, he denied having had anal carnal knowledge with the victim but admitted having anal carnal knowledge with one Mohamadu, who is currently at Bawku, as well as the said witness in the case.

A police medical form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to any government hospital for examination and treatment. It was returned to the police on 6 March 2018.

After the investigations, the accused person was charged with defilement and sentenced.