68-year-old St. Croix man accused of raping girl, 12
Published: September 20, 2012
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ST. CROIX - A 68-year-old man remains jailed at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility after being arrested on charges that he repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl.
Alixford Sylvester of East Street, Christiansted was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated rape, first-degree unlawful sexual contact and child abuse in connection to the sexual assault that police said occurred several times since December of 2011.
Police Detective Vanessa Richardson wrote in her police report that the girl told the assistant principal at her school that a man had been harassing her as she walked to school each day. She said she did not know the man, but that it made her feel uncomfortable.
Richardson said the school notified police about the incident, and added that they were concerned because a faculty member noticed that while the girl's siblings walked to school, she was dropped off by a man in a truck on several occasions.
While the girl was being interviewed by police about the harassment, she was asked if anyone has ever sexually assaulted her and at that time she reported that Sylvester, who is a family friend had raped her on several occasions, according to Richardson.
The girl told police that she had visited Sylvester on numerous occasions and in December, her mother allowed a sleepover visit and during the visit he came into the bedroom where she was sleeping and fondled her, then proceeded to have intercourse with her.
The girl said when Sylvester came to get her for a second sleepover, she told her mother that she did not want to go with him, but she did not tell her why. The girl said her mother made her go and Sylvester raped her again, according to the police report.
When picked up for questioning, Sylvester refused to make a statement to police.
Sylvester was told during his advise-of-rights hearing that he could be sentenced to spend the remainder of his natural life in prison if he is tried and convicted on the rape charge alone and up to an additional 35 years in prison on the other two charges.
Because no one was in the courtroom on Wednesday who was willing to serve as a third-party custodian for Sylvester, defense attorney Nesha Hendrickson told the court that she will file a motion seeking release on bail for him at a later date. He remains jailed with bail set at $150,000.
- Contact reporter Fiona Stokes at 714-9149 or email fstokes@dailynews.vi.
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