A woman who has accused a St Ann guest house operator of rape and other sex-related offences has allegedly made similar claims against men in four other parishes under at least three different names, a police detective has revealed.
The update was provided when 67-year-old Cecil Walters, of Hill View in Ocho Rios, appeared before the St Ann Parish Court on June 6, on charges of rape, buggery, unlawful detention, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The woman is identified in the police case file report as a 44-year-old chemical and nuclear specialist from Florida in the United States.
She alleged that between May 29 and May 30, Walters entered her room at the Ocho Rios property and had sex with her against her will. While trying to escape, she claimed that Walters hit her in the face.
After running on a roadway, a passing motorist rescued her and left her at the Ocho Rios Police Station, and from there, she went to the hospital, got pain killers and was instructed by a doctor to report the matter before being examined.
Senior Parish Court judge Michele Salmon granted Walters bail in the sum of $400,000, with several conditions, including a stop order and a weekly requirement to report to the police, his attorney, Linton Gordon, said.
Walters, according to the lawyer, is contending that the woman tried to “blackmail him to get free accommodation”. The attorney said, based on the revelations in court, the woman should be investigated.
“This is pure madness. I have never touched that woman,” wrote the investigating cop, quoting Walters as he was cautioned. It is contained in the case file report dated June 3 that was submitted to the court.
The detective sergeant said she “discovered” the additional information about the woman after reporting the matter to a Jamaica Tourist Board office consistent with the protocol for incidents involving foreigners.
The cop said that “this same complainant” has been making reports “of a similar nature” to the police in five parishes, Trelawny, Westmoreland, St James, St Ann – all major tourism destinations – and the St Catherine North Police Division.
Fake names
The woman goes by three names for which she has identifications, including “US passports”, the report said. The Gleaner will not, at this time, disclose the names.
The cop also said that the information was confirmed with the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences & Child Abuse (CISOCA) offices in the five parishes. She noted that in February, the woman made a complaint under one of the three names to the St Ann CISOCA office.
“I can confirm that we have received reports from a female using those names in several parishes,” Head of the CISOCA, Superintendent Maldria Jones-Williams, told the newspaper yesterday. “Each report received will be investigated.”
The St Ann and St James police have declined to comment on the developments. Officials at the St Catherine North and Trelawny police said they were making checks, but no updates had been received up to press time.
Delano Seiveright, senior advisor and strategist, Ministry of Tourism, confirmed the Jamaica Tourist Board’s knowledge of the incidents. He said the agency takes these matters “very, very seriously”.
“Jamaica is a remarkably safe destination for visitors local and international, with near zero crimes against visitors. If there is mischief, as some insist, the relevant law enforcement authorities should take action. In the end, justice must win above all else,” he said.
The woman’s claim that she is an American is also being challenged.
“Checks with the Jamaica Passport and Immigration Citizenship Agency revealed that this complainant is in fact a birth citizen of Jamaica and not as she claimed to have been born in the US,” the detective said.
Walter’s attorney believes that the bail conditions imposed on his client are too burdensome given the police statement about the situation involving the complainant.
“He is still in custody because the bail conditions are so onerous, he can’t meet them. We are trying our best to get the senior citizen out to get medical attention, but this is where he is,” Gordon said Thursday.
He explained that his client had an outdated birth certificate and passport that needed to be changed before submitting to PICA to satisfy the stop order requirement. The immigration authorities would then have to send documents to the St Ann Parish Court office before Walters can be released. He has been in custody since May 31.
“When last I checked on him he was sleeping in the corridor of the Ocho Rios lock-up on a piece of cardboard. He has medical challenges – I gather he’s diabetic and troubled with high blood pressure,” Gordon said, noting that the businessman had no prior criminal record.
So far, the case includes three witnesses. A medical certificate and the arresting officer’s statement are expected by June 30 and a forensic report in July.
jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com
