A MIXED jury on Wednesday found 35-year-old computer technician, Feroz Shakeer, guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl.

Shakeer was on trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court for engaging in sexual activity with the teenager on December 3, 2015. He had denied committing the crime.

The jury, after deliberating for more than two hours, returned with the guilty verdict.

The convicted man will be sentenced on July 15, following presentation of his probation report.

He was represented by attorneys-at-law George Thomas and Madan Kissoon, while prosecutor Cicelia Corbin presented the state’s case.

According to the case facts, in 2015, Shakeer operated a taxi. On the day in question, instead of dropping the victim and her cousin at their requested destination, he drove to a remote location in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and raped the victim.

The child subsequently confided in her relatives, and the matter was reported to the police. Shakeer was later arrested and charged.