The Tarkwa circuit court on Tuesday sentenced a 28-year-old self-styled evangelist of Bonsaso, a suburb of Tarkwa, to 14 years in prison with hard labour for having anal sex (sodomy) with two boys.
The convict, Bismark Opoku, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, after listening to the prosecution’s witnesses and the convict’s defence, found Opoku guilty of the offence.
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Detective Inspector Clement Amoah, who led the prosecution, said the complainant, is the Assistant Headmaster of Nana Boadi Municipal Assembly (M/A) basic school at Dompim Pepesa in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality.
He explained that the victims aged 14 and 15 are Junior High School pupils of Nana Boadi M/A Basic School and lives with their parents in Dompim.
The convict is a tenant in one of the victim’s father’s house.
In December 2016, Detective Amoah said Opoku went to Nana Boadi M/A Basic School and introduced himself to the authorities as an evangelist.
He then started visiting the school to preach to the children during their worship periods.
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The prosecution said a few weeks later, the convict visited the 14-year-old victim at home and told the mother that he had a vision about his son and therefore needed him to come for special prayers in his room.
When the victim went to Opoku’s room, he gave him a bible to read and a drink convincing him that it would give him strength.
The Prosecution said the victim felt sleepy after taking the said drink of which the convict asked him to lie on a mattress.
The victim said when he woke up he had severe pain in his anus and a discharge from the same area.
Detective Amoah informed the court that weeks later the convict repeated the act on the victim.
The prosecution said on January 14, 2017, the second victim age 15, went for a weekend class and during break time Opoku approached him and his colleagues to share the scriptures with them.
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After the preaching, the convict noticed the victim as his congregant and decided to be his companion.
On January 15, 2017, the convict went to the second victim’s house and told the parents that he wanted to fellowship with him.
After the church service, Opoku took the victim to his house and used the same modus operandi as he did for the first victim and inserted his penis into the victim’s anus and forcefully had anal sex with him after which he bolted.
The prosecution said on March 3, 2017, Opoku was seen loitering in the school premises and the matter was reported to the Police at Dompim where he was arrested.
The Prosecution said a medical report form was then issued to the victims to seek medical attention which confirmed anal sex on the victims.
The convict in his caution statement denied the offence.