Man jailed 11 yrs for paying minor sh1000 for sex

By Emmanuel Luganda

THE Nakawa High Court has sentenced a man to 11 years for defiling a 16 year old girl before infecting her with HIV/AIDS.

Robert Mutebi 35 defiled the girl in April, 2011 in Nansana, a Kampala Suburb, where the two lived.

Mutebi while appearing before court pleaded guilty to the charges and asked court to be given a moderate punishment since it was his first time to commit such an offence.

"My lord since it is my first time to commit such offence I pray for a lenient punishment because I have a family to look after and I am HIV+," Mutebi told court.

In response Justice Wilson Masalu Musene, gave the accused 11 years, instead of 15 years saying that he had not wasted court's time and sounded repentant.

"Since you have pleaded guilty to the charge and you have no other record of breaking the law, I will sentence you to 11 years of imprisonment," Justice Musene ruled.

Musene added that in the recent population census, the ratio of women to men was high, so there is no reason why the convict had to go for a minor who was not yet ready for sexual intercourse.

"The 11 years imprisonment should act as lesson for you and other people who had intentions of committing such offences," Musene added.

Prosecution told court that on April 8, 2011, Norah Namagga, a mother of the victim left her at a friend Margret Namigadde’s home and went to work in Kampala.

After 30 minutes, the girl disappeared which made Namigadde panic as she looked for her.

After a while, the girl showed up and when interrogated, she told Namigadde that she was from the accused's home and that he had performed a sexual act on her.

The girl added that it was the third time she had engaged in the act with Mutebi and he would give her sh1000 after.

Namigadde together with the mother of the victim reported the matter to local authorities who forwarded the matter to Nansana Police, who arrested Mutebi and preferred charges of defilement.

The girl was medically examined by the police, where they found out that she was penetrated.

Police carried further checkups where it was found out that the minor was HIV+.