THIRTY-two-year-old Ivor Laud, who was convicted on two counts of raping a minor, was, on Thursday, sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Sexual Offences Court for the crimes.
Laud was on trial before the Demerara High Court earlier this month, when a 12-member jury, after deliberating for more than two hours, returned the guilty verdicts.
The first indictment stated that Laud, between March 1 and 31, 2015, engaged in sexual penetration with the victim when she was eight years old, while the second stated that between August 1 and 31, 2017, he engaged in sexual penetration with the same child when she was ten.

The State was represented by Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig, while Laud was represented by Attorney-at-law Racheal Bakker.
During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, Laud’s attorney pleaded with the court for leniency, but State Prosecutor Martin countered, asking the court to consider that the victim’s innocence was snatched away by Laud, who’d abused his position of trust.
In handing down her decision, Justice Barlow considered the prevalence of such offences here in Guyana, and the fact that Laud took advantage of the closeness he shared with the victim and her family.

He was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment on the first charge, and 25 on the second, but seeing that the sentences will run concurrently, he will only spend 25 years behind bars. Justice Barlow also ordered that Laud undergo counselling for sex offenders while in prison.
The prosecution’s case was that Laud is known to the child’s family, and that during the periods mentioned in the charges, he would invite her to his home on the pretext that he had something for her.
Laud, who is a husband and father, would invite the child over when he was alone at home, and take her into his bedroom and perform oral and vaginal sex on her. After committing the heinous acts, he would send the child home.
The child subsequently confided in her parents, and the matter was reported to the police. Laud was later arrested and charged.