By Peter Toby, tobypeter71@gmail.com
Another Senior Police Officer has been linked to allegation of rape of a minor in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
The police officer identified as Nathaniel Seton was arrested and charged on Friday for allegedly abusing his nine-year-old step daughter at their Fanti Town Resident in the Monrovia suburb of New Matida, Sinkor.
He was arrested based on a complaint from his girlfriend, Ms. Betty Gbodoe, who reportedly told Police Investigators that her daughter was abused by her Police boyfriend, Seton.
The 9-year-old girl has also been providing evidence to Police Investigators, claiming that her Step Father Seton demanded her to play with his penis while he was putting his finger into her vagina.
The little girl also revealed that her Step Father had threatened to kill her, if she ever informed her mother, Betty Gbodoe before she got ill as a result of his action.
Officer Nathaniel Seton has meanwhile been charged for rape and later forwarded at the Monrovia City Court to face prosecution.
He has since been remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison awaiting court trial.
This is the second time a Senior Liberian Police Officer has been arrested and charged for sexual offense.
Recently, Officer Joseph Jallah was accused of sexually harassing a 13-year-old girl in central Monrovia.
Under the Rape Law, the following acts are defined as rape:
*Intentional penetration (however slight) of a penis into the vagina, anus, mouth, or any opening of another person, without that person’s consent; intentional penetration (however slight) of another body part (such as a finger) or an object (such as a gun, stick, candle, or bottle) into the vagina or anus of another person, without that person’s consent.
*Sexual intercourse (including any of the actions described above) between a person who is over 18 years of age and a person who is not yet 18 years of age, even if the younger person agreed to the act or was not forced into it.
In certain cases, rape is considered to be a felony:
*Of first degree, which can garner a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. These cases include those in which:
*The victim was less than 18 years old at the time of the offense.
*The offense involves gang rape.
*The rape results in permanent or serious bodily injury to the victim.
*The perpetrator threatened the victim with a firearm or other deadly weapon at the time of the rape or immediately before it.
In all other cases, rape is a second degree felony that carries 10 years maximum sentence and is non-bailable.