_{Photo: Jeffrey Gillett, found guilty}

by Roy Davis (freelance writer)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Mar. 25, 2024

Jeffrey Gillett, 33, who was found guilty of 2 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a boy, 12 years old at the time, was sentenced to 21 years for each count today by Justice Nigel Pilgrim.

Justice Pilgrim stipulated that the sentences are to run concurrently and that they are to commence from October, 2023, when Gillett was convicted.

Before he decided on the sentence, Justice Pilgrim heard the testimony of 4 witnesses who testified on Gillett’s behalf. He also heard a plea for mitigation from Gillett’s attorney, Norman Rodriguez. In addition, Justice Pilgrim took into consideration a psychological report, a social inquiry report and a prison report.

Both incidents occurred on the same day, August 21, 2021, at Gillett’s house in Dangriga.

The boy testified that he agreed to have sexual intercourse with Gillett in exchange for “gems” to play a video game, Free Fire, and he allowed Gillett to bugger him for 2 minutes on the first occasion.

The boy said that the deal on second occasion was for gems, only that this time they had sexual intercourse for 3 minutes.

Apart from the boy, the Crown led evidence from 11 witnesses, 8 of them agreed witnesses.

In his defence, Gillett stated that he is married and is the father of a boy, 9 years old, and he is not a homosexual. He denied going into his bedroom and having sexual intercourse with the boy. He said that he was with his sister at the time when the incidents allegedly occurred.

Gillett was initially indicted on a charge of rape of a child, but the indictment was amended to read unlawful sexual intercourse after it was discovered that the boy was not coerced.

It was the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lynn Vidal who represented the Crown at the sentencing.