Television personality and host of Crime Watch Ian Alleyne spent last night at the Central Police Station, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, hours after four criminal charges were laid against him. He arrived at the station shortly after 4 pm after being discharged from the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope. Alleyne had been at hospital since his arrest last Thursday night receiving treatment for chest pains. A report said his doctors kept him for observation due to his fluctuating blood pressure. Alleyne was charged late yesterday with three charges under Ssection 32 (2) of the Sexual Offenses Act and one charge of resisting ASP Ajith Persad in the lawful execution of his duties.The legislation states: "A person who publishes or broadcasts any matter contrary to sub-section 1 is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for five years."
He was not allowed bail at the station as customary with other summary offences due to a condition on his warrants which prohibited bail other than authorised by a magistrate. Caribbean Communication Network (CCN) television station TV6 was jointly charged with Alleyne for allegedly breaching the Sexual Offences Act, senior police sources said. The T&T Guardian understands that court summons were delivered to CCN's Express House, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, offices yesterday afternoon. An officer close to the investigation revealed that CCN also was served with three summons, each for breach of their television licence and of their television concession. Both charges stemmed from the Telecommunications Act. After his fingerprints were recorded and he was charged by police yesterday, the T&T Guardian was reliably informed that Alleyne was placed in a secured room, away from the prisoner-holding cells at the police station. The room was to be fitted with basic furniture and a small mattress. Before 6 pm yesterday, Alleyne's employees were allowed to bring him clothing for his court appearance and some personal effects.
Alleyne is expected to appear before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to answer the charges this morning. He was detained by police around 8 pm on Thursday while he stood in the car park at Caribbean Communication Network (CCN)'s offices at Express House, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain. Alleyne's arrest reportedly stemmed from a tape which depicted the rape of a 13-year-old mentally-disabled girl who lives in Morvant. The tape was allegedly shown three times on CCN television station, TV6, on October 25 and 26 last year. After complaints from several organisations, police launched an investigation into the airing of the tape.Their visit to CCN's headquarters on Thursday was not the first in recent months. ASP Persad and officers from the Port-of-Spain CID visited the offices twice last year in search of the controversial tapes and records of the broadcast.