Child molester given retrial

A former member of the B.D.F. who was convicted of raping a ten-year-old girl, escaping from prison and fleeing to the United States, has appealed his conviction. Jason Flores, who was sentenced to ten years in jail by Justice Simeon Sampson in 2004 appeared before the Court of Appeal today and argued he did not get a fair trial since he had no attorney to represent him and would have, if he?d had more time. Director of Public Prosecutions Kirk Anderson conceded this to the court and the Justices ordered a retrial, but did not release Flores or grant him bail. Flores was convicted by Justice Sampson and given fifteen years for carnal knowledge, ten years for use of deadly means of harm, and five years for grievous harm, all to run concurrently. It is alleged that on January first 1999, Flores put a ten-year-old girl in his car, took her to a jetty, had intercourse with her and then hit her in the head with a metal pipe and left her to die. Although he was sent to prison, he escaped and made it to the United States, but was later returned to Belize by U.S. law enforcement authorities.