KINGSTON, Jamaica – Head of the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), Superintendent Enid Ross, has said that the police are actively pursuing the St Mary mechanic accused of fondling a 10-year-old girl in the parish, after he managed to elude law enforcers following a shoot-out on Sunday.

The Sunday Observer reported that relatives allegedly saw the suspect, who is a well-known mechanic in the area, performing oral sex and other sexual acts on the child, who they said was eight years old.

Residents also reported that the suspect was walking around freely in the area and conducting business as usual, while the police have being moving at “snail’s pace” to have him arrested and charged.

But, Superintendent Ross refuted residents’ claims.

She told the Observer that the child is in fact 10-years-old and that doctors have confirmed that no sexual penetration had occurred.

Ross also rubbished claims made about the suspect performing oral sex on the child.

“The statement that we have is from a next of kin, a brother, and there is no mention of oral sex. From what he said, the child was fondled,” she said.

Further to that, Superintendent Ross said despite the residents’ claim about the lacklustre effort being made by police to arrest the mechanic, the police have been working assiduously to apprehend the suspect.

“Just yesterday he was seen in the area by the police and they basically tried to hold on to him but there was an exchange of bullets, so we have not yet made an arrest,” she said.

According to the CISOCA head, the suspect seems to be a “gunman”, but the police are actively searching for him with a view of having him charged with sexual touching.

Tanesha Mundle