Ovielle Phillip Thomas appeared before Magistrate Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo on Thursday December 10, 2015 charged with numerous counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years, indecent assault and buggery. Photo: GIS

Thomas, aged 27, was placed on $60,000 bail and has to report to the police station every Monday and Friday between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

According to the complaint, the defendant on various occasions had sex with the virtual complainant (VC) while she was under the age of 16.

The court heard that at the time the defendant and the virtual complainant attended the same church.

The defendant is said to be a pianist in the church.

The court heard that between January and February 2015 the two became friends and exchanged numbers and began communicating via social media, in particular WhatsApp.

The accused was also considered a friend of the mother of the virtual complainant.

Prosecutor Garcia Kirt Kelly said the Crown will be bringing more charges against the defendant.

Numerous encounters

The court heard that the first incident allegedly took place between March 1 and 31, 2015 at Long Bay Beach and was told details of numerous other alleged encounters between the two, including at Little Dix Hill, Baughers Bay and even at the man's place of work.

Thomas was accosted by officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) on December 8, 2015.

Thomas a Belonger with a previously clean record

Representing the defendant, attorney at law Leroy Jones said his client came to the Virgin Islands at a very young age of three and that he has Belonger status for over 20 years. Jones said his client was single and the father of a three year old daughter and that he has had previously good character before these charges came up. Jones said that Thomas was never on the opposite side of the law before now.

He said that his client now works at One Mart Supermarket and was not a flight risk and that he promised to comply if granted bail.

However, Kelly had objected to bail on the grounds that while there was evidence to suggest that the accused had been out of the territory recently, calls to the immigration department did not yield any record of his leaving the territory.

Magistrate Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo then asked whether his passport was checked. The answer was no and she then suggested that the passport be produced.

“I need to see his passport to give him the benefit of the doubt,” she said.

Following a few minutes the passport was produced and it showed him entering other jurisdictions but not departing the Virgin Islands. It was explained that if someone is a Belonger their exit from the territory may not necessarily be recorded in their passport.

The parties return to court on April 8, 2016 where other charges are likely to be made and when the documents for the paper committal for transfer to the High Court will be presented.