Nursing assistant Tiana Serena Lewis-King, 23, who is accused of spreading false information about the post-mortem examination of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting acts of terrorism.

Lewis-King, of Graham Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where the charge was reread to her under the Administration of Justice Act.

She is accused of disseminating a voice recording between April 28 and May 5, in which she falsely claimed to have been present during Younge’s autopsy and alleged that the child had been suffocated and sexually molested.

The recording also included claims that she had been sent to observe the post-mortem by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony.

Both the Guyana Police Force and Dr. Anthony publicly refuted these statements, confirming that Lewis-King was not present during the autopsy and had no involvement in the case.

The viral voice note triggered widespread outrage and misinformation across social media platforms, prompting the investigations and charges.

Lewis-King was initially remanded to prison earlier this month when the charge was first laid.

However, on Thursday, a High Court Judge granted her $350,000 bail.

The Chief Magistrate noted that once the bail is posted, Lewis-King would be released from custody. The matter has been adjourned to June 11 for the disclosure of statements.

During the first hearing, Romario Kingston, 34, of Delph Avenue, Campbellville, Georgetown was also charged with using a computer system to incite terror in relation to the circulation of a controversial voice recording involving Lewis-King.

He was released on $300,000 bail.

The prosecution alleged that Kingston and Lewis-King are responsible for circulating the recording, which the police has said was “clearly intended to create public mischief, pervert and obstruct the course of justice, among other criminal offences.”

The prosecutor stated that the voice note, which received over 40,000 views on social media, gave the impression that the government was engaged in a cover-up and that the pathologists who conducted the autopsy had been bribed.

Meanwhile, Lewis-King allegedly admitted that the voice note originated from a private conversation with Kingston, during which she made the false claims.

Authorities have since urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified or inflammatory information online.

The first post-mortem, conducted in Guyana by three internationally recognised pathologists, concluded that Adriana Younge died by drowning.

The examination found no signs of trauma, sexual assault, or foul play. Toxicology results showed ethanol levels consistent with decomposition, and the physical findings such as changes in the skin and airways were in line with prolonged submersion.

These results were supported by a separate review from a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigator, who also found no evidence of foul play.

The second autopsy, performed by Dr. Carol A. Terry at the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia, confirmed there was no trauma and found the first autopsy to be technically thorough.

However, Dr. Terry declined to confirm drowning as the cause of death, noting that it is a diagnosis of exclusion.

She cited as particularly concerning the version of events that was reported to of Adriana’s disappearance and labelled the death “highly suspicious.”

She had strongly recommended a full criminal investigation and further review of toxicology, surveillance footage and forensic evidence.

The Guyana Police Force has said it will be submitting its complete investigative file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal guidance.