ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Superintendent of Police in charge of St Elizabeth, Lanford Salmon, in a statement issued yesterday, sought to clarify recent statements made by former Member of Parliament Richard Parchment about the police’s handling of an alleged report of sexual assault on a child by a pastor in the parish.

Salmon in his clarification acknowledges that a report of sexual touching was made at the Junction Police Station on October 21, 2016 against a male farmer who is not a pastor, but the caretaker and member of a church in the Top Hill Community of St Elizabeth.  

He said the police commenced immediate investigations and did all that was required, to include seeking medical attention for the child, contacting the Santa Cruz Child Development Agency (CDA), the Santa Cruz Victim Support Unit, and recording relevant statements.

According to Salmon, the St Elizabeth police also visited the community and was told that the accused man was seen leaving earlier the same day. The police made subsequent visits but the accused man was never found.

A case file was completed and a warrant of arrest issued for the accused man, who is now wanted for the offences of sexual touching and sexual grooming.  He has been identified as Zacchaeus Wright, otherwise called ‘Brother Jack’, of Top Hill district in the parish.

Anyone knowing his whereabouts of Wright is being asked to contact the Junction police at 607-8239, 119 or the nearest police station.