AN East Coast Demerara businesswoman was on Thursday sentenced to three years imprisonment after she was found guilty of human trafficking by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.It was alleged that at Pattensen, Greater Georgetown, Sharlene Oxley, 51 recruited, transported and harboured a woman for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Oxley, a mother of four had pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was first read to her. Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers had told the court that Oxley recruited the woman and illegally transported her from Guyana to French Guiana under the pretext that she would be looking after her daughter in French Guiana, but in French Guiana, the virtual complainant was forced into prostitution. Oxley also demanded half of the proceeds from the woman.
Attorney Dexter Todd, who represented Oxley, maintained that the only reason his client took the virtual complainant (VC) to French Guiana was to look after her daughter. The defence also claimed that the virtual complainant was not forced into prostitution by the defendant, but in fact it was a plan between one of his defendant’s family members and the virtual complainant to put his client in jail.
In her ruling, the magistrate stated that the prosecutor had proven that Oxley had recruited, transported and harboured the (VC). In the evidence, it was proven that the (VC) was recruited by Oxley to go to French Guiana to look after her daughter and Oxley had transported her from Guyana to go to Suriname and French Guiana. The evidence also showed that Oxley provided housing for the virtual complaint (VC), while she cared for her daughter and while she prostituted.
In the court’s opinion, Oxley had deceived the VC,whom she intended to exploit. Along with deceiving the VC, Oxley had also caused her to prostitute and she took half of the proceedings. However, the evidence did prove that the VC knew what she was doing. The court felt that the VC was aware of the activities in which she was engaged. Oxley was also ordered to pay $2 million in restitution — one million for psychological treatment and the other for emotional distress. However, Oxley’s lawyer Dexter Todd informed the court by oral notification that his client would be appealing the matter.