The 29-year-old “PH” taxi driver charged with sexual grooming of an 11-year-old girl was greeted by jeers from curious onlookers as he entered the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
When Neil Bissessar, of Sankar Drive, Longdenville, was taken out of a marked police van just outside the court’s premises, the people who were gathered in the hot sun on the roadway noticed his right hand in a hard cast.
One man shouted: “You lucky. More of you should have been broken.”
A woman chimed in: “You need more licks.”
It is alleged that Bissessar, on two occasions, sent several messages via telephone and social media to an 11-year-old girl, allegedly telling her to send pictures of herself and even asking to come over to her house. On Thursday night, he allegedly made his way to the girl’s house and was confronted by a group of villagers. He was subsequently beaten and strapped by villagers as they waited on the police.
Bissessar was eventually taken to the Longdenville Police Post and the Chaguanas Health Facility where he was treated for injuries he sustained. He was charged with the offence by PC Corey Williams of the Longdenville Police Post on Saturday and appeared in court at 1.42 pm yesterday.
When he was escorted into the First Court courtroom, Bissessar was seen looking at the people seated in the public gallery. His eyes then fixed on the girl’s mother, who was also seated in the courtroom waiting for the matter to be called.
Shortly before 2 pm, Bissessar was called before Magistrate Joanne O’Connor. His attorney, Taradath Singh, told the magistrate his client complained that he was beaten by people on Thursday night. Singh said as a result of the beating his client suffered a broken middle finger on the right hand, spinal injuries and bruises about the body.
Singh asked the magistrate to consider granting Bissessar bail, as his client had no previous convictions and was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses for several years.
But O’Connor said Bissessar was charged under the Children Act 2012 and did not call upon him to plead. She remanded him into custody pending tracing as confirmed by Court Prosecutor Sgt Ken Ali, who said they were awaiting results.
Speaking with reporters after his client’s appearance, Singh said on summary conviction, his client can face a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for ten years or on conviction on indictment, a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for 20 years.
Bissessar is to reappear before O’Connor tomorrow.
Children Act 2012
Meeting a child following sexual grooming
25. (1) Where a person has on at least two earlier occasions, met or communicated with a child in Trinidad and Tobago or elsewhere, by any means, including the Internet, for the purpose of sexual grooming, and he meets, attempts to meet or travels for the purpose of meeting the child in Trinidad and Tobago or elsewhere with the intention of doing anything to or in respect of the child, during or after the meeting, which if done in Trinidad and Tobago would constitute the commission of an offence under Part V and this Part, the person commits an offence.
(2) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable–
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine of fifty thousand dollars and to imprisonment for ten years; or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars and to imprisonment for twenty years.
(3) For the purposes of this section, “sexual grooming” means gaining the trust of a child, or of a person who takes care of the child, for the purpose of sexual activity with the child.