WESTERN BUREAU:

Jason Rose, the St James-based pastor who is charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl, and his wife Kehmi Rose and the girl’s mother, who are charged with perverting the course of justice, were offered bail in the combined sum of $2.5 million when they appeared in the St James Circuit Court last week.

During the trio’s in-camera court appearance, Rose was offered bail in the sum of $1.5 million, while the women were each offered bail in the sum of $500,000. They are to return to court on December 8 when the case is expected to continue. The conditions of their bail offer were not disclosed.

The bail hearing for the three started on October 11, but was put off for continuation on October 13. During the hearing, the court issued an order restricting discussion of the case so as to protect the complainant, who is currently said to be in state care.

In addition to the pastor’s rape charge, all three defendants are charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. Jason Rose is being represented by attorney Tamika Spencer-Anderson; Kemhi Rose is represented by attorney Adrian Dayes, while attorney Martyn Thomas is representing the complainant’s mother, whose name is being withheld to protect the minor’s identity.

The trio first appeared in the St James Circuit Court on October 6, after their case was previously transferred from the St James Parish Court on September 27. That date marked the pastor’s fifth appearance before the parish court and the fourth appearance of his wife and the teen’s mother.

Jason Rose was offered bail in the sum of $300,000 on the rape charge on his first court appearance. However, he was subsequently remanded on June 16 when he appeared on the perverting the course of justice charge.

All three defendants were denied bail on their June 16 appearance out of concern that they would interfere with the complainant. A gag order was also imposed on the court by presiding parish judge Sasha Ashley, concerning details about the case.

The allegations against Jason Rose are that on May 28 this year, the teenage complainant reportedly went to the church to use the Internet for an education project. While she was there, she said the pastor accosted and raped her.

Subsequent to the pastor’s arrest and charge, Kehmi Rose and the teen’s mother tried to convince the child to change the statement she gave to the police and the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offices and Child Abuse. The police were made aware of the attempt to force the teen to retract her statement and Kehmi Rose and the mother were both arrested and charged.