Man guilty of raping girl, 12, while in foster care

A 31-year-old Rose Hall resident has been convicted for the 2013 rape of a 12-year-old, which occurred at knifepoint, at the home of her foster parent.

Ron McGuire/Cambridge faced a short trial at the High Court this week, at the end of which the nine-member jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the two counts on the indictment.

Therefore, they believed the facts presented in the case of the prosecution, which was represented by crown counsel Renée Simmons.

Cambridge now faces possible prison time for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, as well as committing assault with intent to wound between May 31 and July 1, 2013.

The victim in this case is now 20 years old. In 2013 she was in the foster care system, and living with a guardian, as she revealed to the court on Monday. While in the stand giving evidence, the 20-year-old appeared distressed. She said Cambridge used to come to buy bread from her foster mother, help carry items for her guardian, among others things.

She told the jury that the incident happened at around 7:30 am. She was brushing her teeth in the bathroom and heard a door open. She checked, looking in the bedroom upstairs, and checked downstairs but didn’t see anyone, and so she returned to the bathroom.

She was in the process of getting ready for school when, she turned around and saw Cambridge, who told her that he had come for her.

This confused the 12-year-old, who hadn’t had any real conversations with him beyond saying good morning. She said that she had nothing with him before.

She fought him and in the scuffle, she was pushed down by her attacker, who wielded a knife with black tape on the handle. He put the knife to the throat of the terrified girl, and taped her mouth. He then raped her.

The young girl was scared at the time and she remained scared after he left, and going to school she didn’t say anything to anyone. Additionally, she apparently thought he would find out if she told anyone, return and do something to her.

However, the young girl did tell her roommate at the time, and then some time later her biological parents, whom she visited periodically. Her parents apparently confronted Cambridge, but he threatened them into silence.

Nevertheless, a child protection worker found out about the incident three years later, in 2016.

Upon receiving the report from a concerned citizen and receiving information from the school, the caseworker met with the girl and her parents. On confirming the report with them, she removed the child from the care of the guardian, and reported the matter to the police. They visited the scene and a medical examination was also carried out.

The defendant was represented by counsel Patina Knights, and he denied everything. In an electronic interview given to the police following the report against him, Cambridge said he never had any sexual contact with her, and never threatened her with a knife.

However, in the same interview he admitted that the young girl’s parents confronted him about raping their daughter.

At the trial, he chose not to testify and he called no witnesses.

In compliance with the request of counsel Knights, the sentencing was adjourned, the decided date being October 9. On this date, Justice Brian Cottle will hand down the determined appropriate penalty for his crimes.