Appeal’s Court Judge, Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens has sentenced Abu Bakarr Sannoh, 24, to 10 years imprisonment for sexually penetrating a 12-year-old pupil.

According to police investigation, Sannoh was suspected of being responsible for engaging in a sexual intercourse with the pupil on 29 January last year in Freetown.

Before the judgment, the Prosecutor, Jane Kamara applied to the judge for the trial to be done by judge alone rather than by judge and jury to which was granted by Justice Stevens.

The 24-year-old when arraigned in front of the judge denied the allegation but Prosecutor Kamara led in a number of witnesses and the victim who implicated him for the allegation of sexual penetration contrary to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, Act No. 12 of 2012 as repealed and replaced by Section 4 (a) (ii) of the Sexual Offences Act as Amended in 2019.

Sannoh, in his defence, accused the detective of coercing him to plead guilty to the crime after his confessional statement was read at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown.

But the judge, from the evidence, acceded that the accused was not coerced but rather confessed to his action.

Sannoh will spend the next 10 years at the male correctional centre on Pademba Road.