A 69-year-old St James man is facing rape and other charges in relation to an incident involving a 7-year-old girl.

Paul Anderson, otherwise called ‘Roger’, a cargo handler of love lane, Montego Bay was charged following an incident on December 1 last year.

He was also charged with grievous sexual assault and sexual touching of a child.

Reports are that Anderson allegedly fondled a 7-year-old girl on several occasions and had sexual intercourse with her.

On Thursday, February 15, Anderson reportedly kissed the complainant in the presence of another child, who informed her mother of the incident.

A report was made to the police and an investigation was launched into the matter.

Anderson was arrested on Saturday, February 17, after he was pointed out to the police by the complainant.

He was charged by detectives assigned to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) with breaches of the Sexual Offences Act on Wednesday, February 21.

His court date is not yet finalised.

Meanwhile, the police are reassuring members of the public that every case is treated with privacy and confidentiality and they should continue reporting these incidents to the police.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says it and its partnering agencies such as schools, hospitals and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) are robust in their approach to minimize sexual offences committed against children.

The public is being reminded that children under the age of 16 cannot give consent for sexually related activities; hence the law makes it mandatory for sex offenders to face punitive measures.

Additionally, persons who have knowledge of sexual offences against a child and fail to report the incident will also be prosecuted as per the act.

The JCF is appealing to parents and guardians to report suspected cases of child abuse to CISOCA at 876-926-4079, the CPFSA at 876-948-7206 or the nearest police station.