An attorney pleaded with a San Fernando magistrate on Monday not to deem his 18-year-old client as a sexual predator, although he was charged with four offences of sex with a minor. When Brandon Wickham appeared before deputy chief magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando First Court yesterday, he was granted bail of $75,000. Wickham, of Cedar Hill, Claxton Bay, was slapped with four charges of having sexual intercourse with a girl over the age of 14 but under 16 between January 1 and December 31, 2013.
The charge is a violation under Section 7 of the Sexual Offences Act, which carries a prison sentence of 12 years for the first offence and 15 years’ imprisonment for a subsequent offence if found guilty. Wickham was not called upon to plead as the charges were laid indictably. Defence attorney Cedric Neptune appealed to Wellington to grant the accused bail with surety, saying it was Wickham’s first brush with the law.
He explained that he had just turned 18 last September and he and the victim had some history. After learning that there was a warrant for his arrests, he said, Wickham surrendered to St Margaret police on Friday. Wellington was unmoved and adjourned the matter to March 24. In a similar matter, 21-year-old Roger Perriman also appeared before Wellington, accused of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
The charge read that on February 18, at Williamsville, Perriman had sexual intercourse with a female, who is not his wife and who is over the age of 14 but not yet 16.