Narcott Graham, 54, and Agon Stephens, 52, the two men arrested in May for allegedly attempting to prostitute a 14-year-old girl, will stand trial in the Home Circuit Court on October 17 on human trafficking charges.

Both are charged with procuring a girl to become a prostitute; procuring a girl to leave her usual place of residence for her to frequent a hotel for the purposes of prostitution; conspiracy to procure a girl to become a prostitute; and benefiting from earnings of prostitution.

Stephens, a resident of Deanery Terrace, Kingston 3, and Graham from Love Street, Kingston 12, were arrested in what the police said was “a covert police operation”, while allegedly attempting to sell a schoolgirl on May 26, to a foreigner, who turned out to be an undercover US investigator posing as a tourist.

The girl was allegedly being prostituted for US$400, and arrangements were also made to pay her another US$500 for other sexual services, according to court documents.

At an earlier hearing in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court, Stephens denied involvement in the transaction, while noting that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when arrested.

He told the court that the US agent approached him about procuring a prostitute but he declined.

Stephens said the agent then asked him to take another tourist around the city to buy records. Stephens further said that he and Graham were arrested after going to the agent’s room some time later.

Both are charged under the Childcare Protection Act.