A man, Moses Joseph, who forced a 13-year-old girl to suck his manhood and inserted his finger in her private parts, was on Thursday, sentenced to 37 years’ imprisonment by a Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting at Ikeja, Lagos State.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who handed down the verdict, held that the state proved its case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge held that from available evidence, the defendant was guilty of the crime.
The Lagos State Government arraigned Joseph on two counts of indecent treatment.
The prosecution said the defendant committed the offence at his house on 25, Kadiri Street, Alausa, Ikeja, on September 17, 2021, around 11pm.
In his allocutus, the defence counsel, Mr Henry Obidinna, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
Obidinna told court that the convict was the breadwinner of his family and his younger brother died of shock after he heard of Joseph’s arrest.
He added that the incident had been kept away from his aged mother.
Asked if he had anything to tell the court, the convict pleaded for mercy.
The judge said, “On the first count, I sentence you to seven years’ imprisonment. On the second count, I sentence you to 30 years’ imprisonment, which will run concurrently.”
