Three Men Sentenced to Seven Years Each for Sexual Offences

Three Men Sentenced to Seven Years Each for Sexual Offences

Three men have been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment each following their conviction for conspiracy and the sexual penetration of a child. The ruling was delivered on August 4, 2026, at the High Court Criminal Session in Bo City, presided over by Justice Francis Banks-Kamara.

The defendants—John Lappia, Syrus Fofanah, and Raymond Jonjo—were prosecuted by the Attorney General on two counts: Conspiracy Contrary to Law, and Sexual Penetration of a Child under Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, as amended by Section 4(ii) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act No. 8 of 2019.

Court records established that between May 5, 2022, and August 1, 2022, in the Bo Judicial District of Sierra Leone’s Southern Province, the trio conspired with unidentified persons to commit the crime. The act of sexual penetration occurred on May 4, 2022, involving a victim under the legal age of consent.

During proceedings, defense counsel Francis Baimba Swaray Esq. of the Legal Aid Board in Bo City presented a plea in mitigation, appealing to the court for leniency and a minimal sentence following the defendants' guilty pleas.

Taking into account the guilty pleas and defense submissions, Justice Banks-Kamara cautioned and discharged the convicts on Count 1 (Conspiracy) and sentenced each defendant to seven years on Count 2 (Sexual Penetration of a Child). The combined 21-year jail terms will be served at the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre in Bo.