TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Keon Lawson, called ‘Crash’, will be serving the next 20 years behind bars for two counts of raping a minor, after he was, on Monday January 6, 2020, sentenced by High Court Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.
In December 2019, Lawson of Linden was found guilty by a 12-member jury for the two charges which he was on trial for before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, in the Sexual Offences Court.
The first indictment stated that Lawson, between November 1, 2014, and November 30, 2014, in the County of Demerara, engaged in sexual activity, with a six-year-old girl.
The second indictment stated that Lawson, on October 6, 2017, in the County of Demerara, engaged in sexual activity with the same victim, when she was nine-years-old.
Lawson was represented by attorney-at-law George Thomas, while the state was represented by prosecutors Teriq Mohammed and Nefeeza Baig.
During the sentencing hearing on Monday, Lawson’s attorney pleaded with the court for leniency, citing that his client can be rehabilitated.
The victim, in her impact statement said that, since the incident, she only trusts her father and was distrustful of the opposite sex. Additionally, a probation officer told the court that, prior to the incident, the victim was joyful. Her grades have dropped and she has stopped socialising.
In sentencing, the judge considered the prevalence of such offences, particularly in Linden. She also considered that Lawson abused his position of trust since he was close to the victim and her family.
She also considered that when the guilty verdict was announced, Lawson said that he was sorry, but in the probation report he maintained his innocence, thus showing no genuine remorse for his actions.
Thus Lawson was sentenced to 18 years for the first count and 20 years on the second. The Judge ordered the sentences run concurrently which means that Lawson will only serve 20 years behind bars.
Finally, the Judge also ordered that Lawson be subjected to counselling, quarterly, while imprisoned.
The prosecution’s case was that Lawson was known to the victim’s family.
During the month of November 2014, it was alleged that Lawson was at the victim’s home watching television.
He reportedly gave the six-year-old girl his cellphone to play games. While the child was playing games, he covered her mouth with his hands to prevent her from screaming.
It was alleged that Lawson pulled down the child’s underwear and raped her.
In October 2017, when the child was sent over to Lawson’s home by her mother to collect chicken from a freezer, she was attacked by him.
It was alleged that Lawson blocked the doorway, grabbed the victim and pinned her down into the chair. He then raped the child and sent her back home.
The child went to school and told her teacher. The victim’s mother was summoned to the school and the incident was reported to the police.
