COLLIN Cummings was found guilty of the rape of a child under the age of 16 years old after a 12-member jury deliberated for more than two hours on Wednesday in the Sexual Offences Court in the Georgetown High Court.

The matter states that the accused on August 20, 2016 in the county of Demerara, engaged in sexual penetration with a child, who was then eight years old.

After the foreman of the jury announced a unanimous guilty verdict before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, the accused was asked by the judge to address the court and he maintained that he was innocent of the charge and asked for the minimum sentence.

This was done after the judge pleaded with defence attorney, Clyde Forde, to advise his client at what stage they were at in the trial, since he was obligated to do so.

However, his attorney made an application to the court for a probation report to be prepared and presented. As such Justice Morris-Ramlall granted the application.

The probation report will be presented on March 7, 2018 at 09:00hrs and the defence attorney will make his plea of mitigation after which sentencing will be handed down by Justice Morris-Ramlall.

The state’s case was presented by Orinthia Schmidt and Seeta Bishundyal.