A 39-year-old man from Victoria Falls was last Thursday slapped with a23-year jail sentence for aggravated indecent assault andindecent assault.
The accused, Nelson Tuta, will, however, serve an effective 19 years in jail after four years were conditionally suspended for five years. The accused, who resides at ZRP Victoria Falls cottages appeared before regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzirafacing two counts of aggravated indecent assault and four counts of indecent assault which were committed to two eight-year-old male juveniles and a 15-year-old juvenile.
The State, represented by prosecutor Mr Vumizulu Mangena, said on a date unknown to the court but during the period extending from 1 October to 30 November 2022 the accused abused young boys in the resort town. The accused person’s first victim was an eight-year-old male juvenile whom he called while he passed close to his house. Upon the complainant’s arrival, he threw a US$1 note on the floor and instructed the complainant to pick it up and he obliged and left.
Later on, the complainant and his friend passed through the accused person’s house and found him sweeping. They took the broom from him and began sweeping for him. After that, the accused person called the eight-year-old juvenile to his room and told him to touch his private parts and he complied. He further went to insert his private part in the complainant’s mouth. The complainant’s friend was standing at the door during his friend’s abuse, in which after the ordeal, the accused person gave the complainant US$1.
After abusing his first victim, the accused person called his victim’s friend who was standing at the door and ordered him to touch his private part and he did. He then gave the second victim who is also eight years old US$1. Later in the day, he also abused the two boys and ordered them not to tell anyone of the ordeal.
He went on to abuse his third male juvenile who is aged 15. On a date unknown but during the stated period the complainant was watering the garden when the accused person approached and greeted him extending his hand in which the juvenile did likewise. He held the complainant’s hand tightly and pulled the complainant’s hand forcing him to touch his private parts. The Form Four juvenile reprimanded him, telling him that he was not interested in what he was doing. The accused person gave the complainant US$4, pleading with him not to expose him. However, he tried on several occasions to make the complainant touch his private parts but he refused.
His cover was blown on 8 December 2022 when the young boys, who are his victims, disclosed the information to their parents, following rumours that there were children being abused in the police camp. This led to the accused person’s arrest. – Sunday News
