A 27-year-old driver who had sex with a 14-year-old girl in a church at Sowutuom has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Appearing before the Gender-Based Violence Court at the Police Headquarters, Enoch Mensah pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement.

The court convicted Mensah on his own plea and sentenced him accordingly.

Apart from the church premises, Mensah is said to have defiled the victim on four separate occasions in the complainant’s house.

Detective Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyei prayed the court to hand down a deterrent sentence because the victim innocently followed Mensah who sought her assistance, but he ended up defiling in the church.

The prosecution recounted the increasing number of defilement cases, saying a harsh sentence would serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons.

The case of the prosecution is that the complainant is a trader, residing at Apotro near Sowutuom in Accra and (Complainant), the mother of the victim, aged 14 years.

The prosecutor said Mensah, a driver, also resided in the same vicinity.

In June 2023, the victim went to the Church name withheld at Nsumfa, near Sowutum to help the accused clean the church.

It said Mensah locked the church and took the victim to one of the offices where he had “unprotected sexual intercourse” with her on one of the tables and warned her not to tell anyone.

The prosecutor said Mensah went on to have sexual intercourse with the victim on four occasions in the complainant’s house.

It said on August 23, 2023, the complainant noticed some changes in the victim and quizzed her.

The prosecution said the victim disclosed her ordeal and the complainant reported the matter to the Police and a Police Medical form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

When the endorsed medical form was given to the Police, they (police) caused Mensah’s arrest.

In Mensah’s caution statement, he admitted the offence.