35-year-old Mohamed Koroma was on Monday sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens after he was found guilty of sexually penetrating an 11-year-old pupil.

Koroma was before the court on two counts indictment of Sexual Penetration contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, Act No. 12 of 2012, as repealed and replaced by Section 4 (a) (ii) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019, Act No. 8 of 2019.

State Prosecutor, Musa Pious Sesay had alleged that the accused on the 12th June, 2021, in Freetown, in the Western Area of the country, engaged in an act of Sexual Penetration with a child.

The convict denied the allegation upon his arraignment and the State Prosecutor Musa Pious Sesay led in evidence a number of witnesses including the victim in support of his case.

In her evidence, the school going girl admitted knowing the accused as her neighbor and recalled that on dates between the 12th June, 2021, the accused entered her room, removed her clothes and penetrated her virgina.

She said she refused to tell anyone about what happened between him and the accused person.

Justice Stevens said the accused made a denial statement in his defence, but that there was an eye witness who saw the accused lying on top of the victim struggling with her.

Justice Stevens said the second prosecution witness upon information received made calls and the police arrested the accused at the house where they were resident.

He said at the close of the Prosecution's case, the accused relied on his statement to the police.

In his allocutus, the convict pleaded for mercy and was sentenced to ten years on counts the sentence should run consecutive