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An 18-year-old St Andrew man is now in police custody after he was accused of blackmailing at least five schoolgirls by threatening to post pictures of him and them engaging in sexual activities, if they did not pay him.
Sources from the St Andrew North police told THE WEEKEND STAR that the man has been stalking young female students around the Transport Centre in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.
"This man is very wicked. He has been preying on the little girls," an inspector at the Constant Spring Police Station told THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday, noting that the youngest victim who has so far come forward is just 12 while the oldest is 15.
The police say their investigations have revealed that Andre Ramone Whyte of a Kingston 8 address was arrested two weeks ago after two girls contacted the police.
Crime Chief for the St Andrew North police, Deputy Superinten-dent Altermoth 'Parro' Campbell, said the accused man has been linked to at least five cases in which he was alleged to have had sex with the underage girls.
The police theorise that the accused man stayed close to the centre and befriended the girls, all from prominent high schools, while claiming to be good at cellphone repairs.
drink provided
He allegedly lured the girls to his house where they eventually performed sexual activities including oral sex. Photographs were said to have been taken of the acts. In some of the cases, the crime chief said that the girls were "given something to drink", suggesting that they may have been intoxicated.
Further allegations are that he later called back his victims, with threats of posting the pictures on the Internet if they failed to give him money. The police said that monetary demands of between $5,000 and $10,000 were made.
DSP Campbell said in some cases even a bank account was provided for the victims to make the payments.
The man was arrested during a sting operation set up after police received the two complaints.
Following investigations on Tuesday, Whyte was slapped with charges of rape, carnal abuse, indecent assault and obtaining money by menace. He is to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.
The police in the meanwhile are urging female students and their parents to be on the lookout for persons pretending to offer services.
"I want to warn the parents and the girls ... girls if you have a cellphone to repair let your parents deal with it, don't just follow any man who claims he can fix it," DSP Campbell said. "For the criminals, if you think you have the technology we have even better and more sophisticated technology, so we will catch you."
THE WEEKEND STAR was also told this is not the accused man's first run-in with the law.
Police said sometime last year, he and a 16-year-old girl were found at a house in the division after her mother reported her missing.
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