SVG: Fugitive child molester arrested while attempting to escape to St. Lucia

Law enforcement authorities said they arrested a 27-year-old man against whom a court had issued an arrest warrant and police had issued a wanted list after he was convicted in absentia earlier this month for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in November 2021.

Authorities said Ronald Samuel, alias Ronaldo, was nabbed in Chateaubelair, a large fishing village on the Leeward coast, as he tried to take a boat to St. Lucia. Witnesses said he chartered a speedboat to take him to the neighboring island and residents of the Leeward town recognized the wanted man, who fled when they tried to arrest him.

He was later arrested by police and taken to prison, where he awaited sentencing, scheduled for July 26.

Samuel made history by becoming the first person to be convicted in the Supreme Court for cyberbullying and harassment by electronic communication, contrary to the Cybercrime Act, 2016.

The jury also convicted him of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and indecent assault on the 14-year-old child. The crimes were committed in 2021.

In a statement released on Sunday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sejilla Mc Dowall said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – National Prosecution Service (ODPP-NPS) appreciated the partnership between the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), the media and the public whose contributions contributed to the capture of Samuel.

“This case and many others underscore that strategic cooperation between law enforcement and society as a whole produces better results,” Mc Dowall said, adding, “We expect such continued cooperation and its results to curb the alarming rates of violent crime and other serious crimes.”

The statement said the prosecution was led by Senior Crown Attorney Richie Maitland and assisted by Witness Support Officer Andrew Telesford of the ODPP-NPS Witness Support Unit.

The investigating authority was the Sexual Offences Unit of the RSVGPF and Judge Brian Cottle presided over the trial.

Mc Dowall said Parliament had passed the Cybercrime Act to protect people from the very real harm that can be caused by actions in the cyber world and have an impact on real life.

“In this context, the prisoner has, among other things, used a popular communication platform to attempt to blackmail the minor victim and enable him to fulfill his perverse desires,” said Mc Dowall, adding that the ODPP-NPS remains determined to prosecute all crimes.

“We also urge parents, guardians and legal guardians to adequately monitor the online activities of the children entrusted to their care in order to protect them against a network of sex offenders.

“We urge everyone to exercise their civic responsibility and report any knowledge or suspicion of child abuse to the Sexual Offences Unit of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force… The pursuit of justice requires a collective effort,” said Mc Dowall.