GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — A High Court judge has adjourned to September 13 the sentencing of Chandralall Lakhraj who, on Monday, was found guilty of two counts of rape committed on an 11-year-old girl left in his care.

Lakhraj, called Uncle Pappi, who was before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a 12-member jury at the Berbice High Court, denied the first-charge indictments which alleged that between September 1 and October 9, 2019 he engaged in sexual penetration of the child.

He also denied that during the same period he engaged in sexual activity with the child by causing her to touch his penis.

In deliberating for more than two hours the 12-member jury found Lakhraj guilty of the indictments and Justice Reynolds deferred sentencing to September 13, pending the presentation of probation and other social impact reports.

The High Court was told that the child had been removed from her parents’ home due to neglect and was placed in Lakhraj’s care by the authorities.

Lakhraj lived in the bottom flat of the home, no walls separating. It had three beds and the victim would sleep inside of a hammock.

But the court heard that at nights Lakhraj would come to the victim’s hammock and sexually assault her.

The teen later confided in her school teacher and the matter was reported to the police.

In his defence, Lakhraj told the court he is innocent and was working in Suriname when the rape allegedly occurred.