Prosecution drops charges in two sex cases

Two cases involving adult men having sex with children fell apart today in the Supreme Court when the teens failed to appear to testify. Defendant Mark Tucker, a police officer of West Street in Belize City, appeared before Justice Adolph Lucas, but the Crown declined to prosecute due to the disappearance of their main witness, a fifteen-year-old boy. The youth had told police he had agreed to go fishing with Tucker in October of 2003, when Tucker fondled him and then had sex with him, but the prosecution says from the outset of the case the boy refused to cooperate. They had trouble locating him on more than one occasion including, it appears, today.

Charges against another man accused of unlawful carnal knowledge of a fourteen-year-old girl were also withdrawn due to the unavailability of the witness. Avon Fuller of Plues Street appeared before Justice Lucas, but the prosecution once more had to plead nolle prosequi for the charges, which arose from an incident in October of 2002 in which it was alleged he and the minor engaged in sex.