Almost three months after one of Guyana’ most popular cross dressers, Otis “Otisha” Pearson was charged with rape of a 14-year-old boy, he was this morning committed to stand trial in the High Court for the crime.
This was following the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the offence which was conducted by Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
This morning, Pearson, 40, of Station Street, Kitty appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
After reviewing the evidence in its entirety, Magistrate Azore ruled that sufficient evidence was made out against the rape accused.
Consequently, the Magistrate committed Pearson to stand trial for the offense at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
In an television interview, Pearson had disclosed that he has “ a young boy for every day of the week.”
Pearson, on his first court appearance before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, had appeared jovial and was seen interacting with his fellow members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community who went to support him.
But today he look distraught when the Magistrate handed down her ruling.
Pearson was not required to plead to the allegation which stated that on December 24, last, at Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he caused a 14-year-old boy to perform a sexual act; that is to say, penetrate his anus.
The charge amounts to statutory rape since the boy is below the age of consent.
Throughout the trial, Pearson was represented by Attorney-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith.
Pearson remains out on $300,000 bail until the hearing and determination of the trial in the High Court.
Earlier this year, Police, along with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA), had launched an investigation after a photograph appeared on social media with Pearson in the company of a young boy.
It was reported that Pearson would normally entice and pay young boys to engage in sexual activities, these allegations triggered CC&PA to compile a file into the alleged misconduct by Pearson.
That file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)who advised that Pearson be charged.
