BELIZE CITY, Mon, Aug. 20, 2018– Daniel Howard, 33, a man who his mother, Doris Child, said is mentally challenged, was denied bail when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford and was arraigned on two counts of sexual assault for alleged acts he committed on the same day against two female victims, both of whom were 8 years old.

Howard pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was remanded into custody until November 1.

Because Child said in court that her son has a mental problem, Magistrate Ford ordered that he be given a psychiatric evaluation while he is in prison.

The first incident occurred around 4 p. m. on August 15 at Anya’s Store, a Chinese establishment at Mahogany Heights. The first child, accompanied by her mother, went to the police station and reported that while she was making a purchase in the store, a man came from behind her, grabbed her buttocks and squeezed it.

The other child, accompanied by her mother, went to the police station and reported that at around 7:30 p.m. on the same day, she went with two of her cousins to Anya’s Store and while there, a man came up to her, grabbed her buttocks and squeezed it.

Based on the reports, the police carried out an investigation which led to Howard’s arrest and the charges of sexual assault.