A San Fernando contractor who allegedly sexually abused a child for five years was granted $.6 million bail when he appeared in court yesterday. Dave Friday, 51, a janitorial contractor, is alleged to have first assaulted the child when she was seven.
Yesterday, he stood before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the San Fernando First Court charged with 12 offences, including five counts of sexual penetration, five counts of grievous sexual assault and two counts of serious indecency. The sex crimes were allegedly committed between 2011 and 2016.
Friday went to the Child Protection Unit based at the Oropouche Police Station on Saturday, where he was arrested and subsequently charged by PC Nygelle Diamond. Friday was not called upon to plead to any of the charges yesterday.
In seeking bail, his attorney Candace Price said Friday, a father of five, had no previous convictions or pending matters.
She said he was not a flight risk as his passport was stolen four years ago. Asking for reasonable bail, Price said Friday had the full support of his family, including his eldest daughter and other relatives who were in court.
Prosecutor Cleyon Seedan did not object to bail but asked for several conditions, including that Friday stay away from the victim, have no contact with her, report to the police station and produce proof that his passport was stolen.
The magistrate granted him $600,000 approval bail and a cash bail alternative of $30,000. However, the magistrate ordered Friday to reside at a specific address in Claxton Bay, stay 100 feet away and have no contact with the victim, who is now 14.
He also has to report once a week at the police station and produce his passport documentation to the court. The matter was adjourned to October 23.