Startling revelation in paedophile case

Anthony Michael Dobson, a Norwegian tourist who was charged with defiling a minor and child pornography, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Ayoub John Njie of the Brikama Magistrates court.

In her evidence in chief, the first prosecution witness (name withheld) told the court that Mr Dobson had forcefully had carnal knowledge of her and later taken indecent pictures of her.  

In her testimony, the 15-year old girl said she went to the accused person’s house because she was searching for a job. She added that she had gone there on several occasions but was not fortunate to meet Mr Dobson. According to her, she later met Mustapha Drammeh, the second accused, who told her meeting him (Drammeh) and Mr Dobson were all the same.

She asserted that on that same day, the second accused person took her to Mr Dobson’s house and Dobson told her to come back the following day. She said that when she went back the following day, Mr Dobson offered her work, to clean his house, and when she closed for the day, he (Mr Dobson) gave her one hundred dalasis.

The young girl further narrated that on the third day when she finisher her work for the day and was coming from the bathroom,  she found Mr Dobson in the sitting room  naked. The young girl revealed that when she wanted to pass him by, Mr Dobson jumped on her, grabbed her and pulled off the towel she was wearing. She said she struggled to escape from him, but she was overcome when Mr Dobson bite her on her right hand.  “He pulled me down and had carnal knowledge of me,” she said .   

The young girl further told the court that after having carnal knowledge of her, Mr Dobson then took indecent pictures of her. According to her, when the accused was taking the pictures, he asked her not to dress up. “He did it while I was naked but I tried to protect my private parts,” she alleged. The police prosecutor, ASP Touray, at that juncture applied to tender the said pictures as evidence, which was granted by the presiding magistrate without objection from the defence counsel, Borry Touray.

The young girl continued that she went back to take bath again and when she was set to go home, Mr Dobson held her again and she struggled until her cloths tore.
She narrated that as she was unable to escape from him, she cried out for help. Mr Dobson then opened the door and pushed her out of the house. She said she never returned to the accused’s house. “I was later called to the Yundum Police Station and I was shown the said picture that Mr Dobson took of me. I was later taken to the police headquarters at Banjul and to the hospital,” She told the court.  

Cross-examination
During her cross-examination by  the defence counsel, Borry Touray, when asked if she was married, the young girl replied in the negative. Defence Counsel Touray then showed the young girl pictures and asked her whether she was the one in them. She replied in the positive. “Is it correct that you were laughing there,” he asked the young girl, who replied in the positive. “You will agree with me that from the facial appearance on the picture, you were happy,” the lawyer then told her.  The young girl replied in the positive but she was quick to say that she was told by the accused that taking such photos does not matter.