NASSAU-A jury on Friday acquitted a man who prosecutors said sexually assaulted a runaway teen.
Tavarous Munroe, 27, of Old Cedar Street, Yellow Elder, was accused of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl, who could not legally consent.
The jury heard how Munroe and the teen allegedly had sex at his home in September 2019.
The girl, now 16, told the court that she met Munroe on Facebook.
She said they met in person a short time later and had sex at his home. Although the girl willingly participated, prosecutors said Munroe broke the law because the girl was under the age of 16.
The girl testified that she and Munroe kissed, before she undressed herself and they had sex.
Police arrested Munroe on the charge after the girl ran away for three days in January 2020.
When she returned home, she told police about her alleged sexual encounter with Munroe in 2019.
Munroe denied the accusation when questioned by police and during a confrontation with the girl.
In her testimony, she alleged that he ran away because her male cousin, with whom she lived, was physically abusive.
The cousin, who also testified, said the teen had falsely accused him “because she wanted her own way.”
Munroe did not take the witness stand and relied on his denials during the police investigation.
Presiding Justice Renae McKay told the jury that Munroe did not have to prove his innocence and had a right to remain silent.
The jury did not see any of the alleged Facebook and WhatsApp messages between the defendant and his accuser.
The teen claimed her WhatsApp messages were lost when her phone crashed. She said she couldn’t recall her Facebook password.
When cross-examined by defence attorney Miranda Adderley, the girl said that she was still on Facebook.
She claimed, however, that she had signed up for a new account.
Cassie Bethell and Denard Brown prosecuted.
