A Point Fortin truck driver who raped an American teenager ten times in a year has been sentenced to a total of 29 years in prison.
Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas sentenced the man, who was found guilty in the San Fernando High Court in July, on Wednesday.
The judge sentenced him to 19 years and six months on the first three rape charges.
And on the other rape charges he was sentenced to nine years and six months.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, so he would only serve 19 years and six months in prison.
The girl was first raped in 2006 when she was 13 years old.
Her mother sent her to Trinidad in January 2006 to stay at a female relative's home in Point Fortin. The prisoner was in a relationship with the relative.
The girl, who was among seven prosecution witnesses who testified, has since returned to the US.
The State's case, led by state attorney Angelica Teelucksingh, was that the attacks took place between June 2006 and April 2007 in the house and in a shed in Point Fortin.
The girl testified that she was threatened by the man that if she said anything he would put her out of the house. The girl testified that her attacker gave her money which she used to buy school supplies and food.
After the last sexual assault the girl was sent to live with another relative in Port-of-Spain.
Three months later when her grandmother came on vacation from the United States she found out what had happened and got the United States Embassy involved and a report was made to the police.
The man was charged by PC Christopher Garraway, of the Point Fortin Police Station.
He denied raping the girl. He was represented by attorney Everard Davidson.
