American convicted of sexual offence after cops find him with 12-y-o
Published:Thursday | March 30, 2023 | 1:16 AM
An American man was convicted on Wednesday for having sex with a 12-year-old Jamaican girl after a telephone conversation with the child’s father.
Robert Benoit was found guilty in the St James Circuit Court of having sex with a person under the age of 16, arising from the sexual encounter, which occurred on December 23, 2020.
The jury deliberated for one hour and 42 minutes before returning a unanimous verdict.
According to evidence presented in court by prosecutors, Benoit, who was 57 years old at the time, went to pick up the child at her home after the telephone conversation with her father.
“Go spend the night with him and bring back money,” the girl’s father reportedly told her as she left with the American, prosecutors said, citing evidence presented in court.
The father has since been convicted and sentenced for breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act, law enforcement authorities have disclosed.
His name is being withheld to protect his daughter’s identity.
The child left with Benoit and reported that she was asleep on a bed inside his home when she felt someone on top of her.
According to the evidence, Benoit had sex with the 12-year-old before cops, acting on a tip, showed up at the house early the next day.
The police reported that they heard talking inside the house and said it took several minutes before the American man opened the door. The child told the cops that Benoit was trying to hide her.
Responding to a number of questions from the cops, she said that she and Benoit were not related and remained silent on whether they were in a relationship before confirming that they had had sex.
Benoit is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5.