Sekondi, Aug. 12, GNA- Ekow Ess0ien, a 20-year-old farmer was on Thursday sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment in hard labour by a Sekondi circuit court for defiling a nine-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty.

Police Chief Inspector Joseph Hedidor told the court that on July 29, this year, the victim left home to give iced water to her grand mother at the Apremdo Market near Kwesiminstim at about 1645.

He said the accused who lives in a wooden kiosk at the market lured the victim into the kiosk and defiled her and kept her overnight. The prosecutor said when the victim's father, Mr. Moses K. Kaizer, could not trace the whereabouts of the girl, he alerted the Police, who after investigation, found the victim in the convict's kiosk.