Court Issues Bench Warrants for Two Defendants in Intimate Image Case
A Freetown court has issued bench warrants against two defendants accused of allegedly taking and sharing intimate images of a woman without her consent after both failed to appear for a hearing.
Janet Ibrahim Charles and Musa Saidu face three counts under the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021. The charges include sharing an intimate image without consent, posting a sexually explicit image without consent, and taking an intimate image without consent.
According to the charge particulars, the alleged offences occurred on July 14, 2026. Prosecutors allege that both defendants shared an intimate image of Stella Bewie through a Facebook account named “Janet Abraham.”
The second count alleges that Charles used the same account to post a sexually explicit image of Bewie with the intention of shaming, humiliating and frightening her. The third count alleges that Saidu took an intimate image of Bewie without her consent at Pastoral Centre Guest House in Kenema.
When the case came before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1, Deputy Superintendent of Police Dellia Wellington informed the court that neither defendant was present. She applied for bench warrants against both defendants and their sureties.
Magistrate Jah granted the application and ordered the warrants to be issued. The case was adjourned to November 2, 2026.
The issuance of the warrants follows the defendants’ failure to appear in court and does not establish the truth of the allegations. The charges remain before the court, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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