Linden taxi driver found guilty of raping girl, 12

A 41-year-old taxi driver of Linden, Region Ten was on Tuesday found guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl in 2017.

Morris Johnson was on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court; the offence occurred between August 12-13, 2017.

He was found guilty by a 12-member jury after almost two hours of deliberations.

Johnson was represented by Attorneys Ronald Burch-Smith and Keoma Griffith while Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs and Seeta Bishundial represented the State.

Johnson was remanded to prison and the matter is adjourned to August 26, 2019, for sentencing and the reading of a probation report in his favour.

The court heard that the victim, in the company of three friends, joined his taxi on the day in question.

Johnson drove past the home of the girls and while the three friends managed to escape from the back seat, the victim was left in the front seat of his car.

The court heard that Johnson took the child into a dark area, raped her and then left her to walk home.