Sierra Leone High Court Judge sentences man to 5 years imprisonment for recording and circulating sexual video

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 October 2021:

Sierra Leone’s Sexual Offences Model Court Judge Momoh-Jah Stevens, last Wednesday sentenced  Ahmed Issa Kamara (popularly known as Joshua) to five years imprisonment or pay eighty million Leones and a mandatory compensation of twenty million Leones, after he was found guilty of making and sharing a sexually explicit video involving a female without her consent.

Ahmed Issa Kamara was charged on four counts under the Sexual Offences (amendment) Act 2019, Act No. 8 of 2019 – ranging from making indecent material contrary to Section 18 (1) (a); Circulating indecent material contrary to Section 18 (1) (b); Possessing indecent material, contrary to Section 18 (1) (c) and circulating indecent materials on various dates contrary to Section 18 (1).

According to the particulars of offence, Ahmed Issa Kamara on a date unknown between the 1st of March and 2nd April 2020 in Freetown, recorded himself having sex with the female and then sent the video to her fiancé overseas.

In his judgement, Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens said the accused was charged with four counts of sexual related offences who pleaded not guilty to all counts as charged. He noted that the Prosecution made a successful application for the accused to be tried by a judge alone pursuant to Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965 as amended.

The Prosecution presented three witnesses and were able to prove that the phone that was used to record the sexual act was owned by the accused.

The recording of the video the Judge said was done without the consent of the victim.

In his plea mitigation, lawyer C. Taylor-Young representing the accused said that Ahmed Issa Kamara is a first-time offender and a young man with potential for self-improvement. Referencing Section 18 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012, he pleaded with the judge to either sentence the convict or to fine him, as Ahmed Issa Kamara appealed to the judge to temper justice with mercy.

In his defence, Ahmed Issa Kamara told the Court that he had no witness but relied on his statement to the police.

Delivering his sentence, Justice Stevens cautioned that men should be mindful in treating women with utmost respect. “Circulation of sexual video is uncalled for and unacceptable,” he said, and therefore sentenced Ahmed Issa Kamara to five years imprisonment or pay twenty million Leones for each of the four counts.

In addition, Justice Stevens said that the convict should pay a mandatory compensation fee to the victim in the sum of twenty million Leones on or after completion of his sentence of payment of fine.