GT man gets three years for ‘fleeting’ assault on child

| 27/05/2022 | 22 Comments

(CNS): DeAnthony Russell (24) from George Town was jailed for three years on Thursday for his conviction by a jury in November last year on one count of indecent assault, which had taken place one year earlier. The local man was found guilty of exposing his penis and rubbing it against the bottom of an 8-year-old girl while she was visiting relatives at the home where he was staying. As she handed down the sentence, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop said the one-off assault was “impulsive and opportunistic” and of a “short duration that was almost fleeting”, but it was still serious.

The little girl had been visiting the home of her cousins and had been playing outside with them and her sisters when she briefly separated from them to go inside the kitchen in search of a bin to throw away some garbage. Russell had followed the child indoors. Coming behind her, he had rubbed his hands on her buttocks and taken out his penis and rubbed that up against the child. The incident lasted for around 10 seconds or so before she ran from the kitchen and away from Russell.

A few days later the girl told her cousins and sisters, all of whom were under ten years old, what had happened and they told their mothers. The incident was then reported to the police. Although Russell denied the allegations, stating that the child was lying, the jury did not believe him and convicted him on the one count.

Outlining her sentence ruling, the judge said she had taken into account Russell’s circumstances, which included some serious mental health problems. He has suffered from schizophrenia since a road accident when he was a teenager in 2014 and was described by probation officers as having a chronic substance abuse problem.

Although he has a long rap sheet, largely related to drug offences, Russell has no previous convictions for sexual crimes. But a social inquiry report found he was at high risk of re-offending in general and at medium risk of further sexual offences.

The crown had asked for a sexual harm prevention order, which the judge granted, to prevent him from spending any unsupervised time with young girls after he is released from jail.

As she handed down the three-year prison term, the judge also aired her concerns that Russell, who was already in custody serving for other crimes, was not taking any programmes or engaging in any useful activity while behind bars, and she recommended a number of rehabilitation programmes he should take.


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Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (22)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    This is not about the sex. Everyone knows it is about control and manipulation because he is a paedophile, sociopath and possibly have several other mental disorders. He was probably abused and think this is the way one should act around others. The little boys may be next. People? Supervise your children.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    He should banned from being around young children, not just young girls. People forget that boys are victims as well and rarely heard.

    I’m just saying don’t stop at just one gender. Child predators are dangerous around all children.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Concerning that you choose to mock this. No-one wins here and attitudes like your’s do not help

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  4. Say it like it is says:

    If he had pleaded guilty he would have got away with 18 months.

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    • Anonymous says:

      More like 24 months, but maybe 18 months if there were any other mitigating factors.

      As a genera rule of thumb, there is usually an automatic 1/3rd reduction at sentencing, at least, where there is a guilty plea (but that’s more in line with an early guilty plea, whereas as late guilty plea may not be as generous).

      There are, however, various other factors, whether aggravating or mitigating, that can go towards increasing or reducing the ultimate sentence.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah, the whole sentencing process is upside down. Removing dangerous criminals from the streets is far down the list of objectives. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to be on the list at all.

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        • Anonymous says:

          What about white collar criminals? What about corruption in govt? They need to be locked up too.

          I can think of the Chairman of a govt board, which the PACT appointed, who was convicted of dishonest breach of trust while serving on a previous govt board.

          PACT is failing Ceyman in less than two years. That has to be some kind of record failure in no time flat.

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      • Anonymous says:

        It takes seconds to pull a trigger and kill someone. That too can be considered a “fleeting assault”…ridiculous defense.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    God made us all equally. Clothing makes a mockery of his creations.

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    • Orrie Merren says:

      Clothing dates back to Adam and Eve when, in the Garden of Eden, after both partaking of the forbidden fruit, first introduced sin and disobedience to God into this world, then immediately realized that they were naked and covered themselves with leaves (which was the first recorded wearing of clothing).

      If you think that running around in your birthday suit is a good idea, then try it out publicly and you may very welcome end up in a cell with DeAnthony Russell and other convicted criminals.

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    • R. U. Kidding says:

      “God made us all equally.” Are you kidding???

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Again, not a long enough sentence. When sentencing takes place, do the judges ever stop and think if this happened to my child, would I be satisfied that the sentence fits the crime? I cannot possibly see where a 3 year sentence is justifiable is this instance. That child will never forget what happened to her, and she will be affected by this for years to come. Time for some serious reform on sentencing guidelines.

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    • Anonymous says:

      27 @ 9:13 am – Reform, in Cayman? LMAO! I know someone who contacted The Law Reform Commission (LRC) with comments and inquiries regarding updates and other changes in local laws/statutes.

      LRC responded that they should take their comments and inquiries to their local MP. Reform..? Fat chance!!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Impulsive and opportunistic is when I take a patty from another floor’s kitchen as I pass by.

    Hopefully he can be kept away from children and women.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    3 years for exposing himself and making ‘fleeting’ contact with his pp – well done Magistrate McDonald-Bishop!

    8.5 years for multiple incidents of actual sex with at least 6 children – shame on you Magistrate Richards!

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Deportation? Anyone checking to see if possible?

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    • who cares, I do. says:

      8:01, when it says,”local man”,what do you think it means? you want to think that only expats do wrong, dumb!

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      • Anonymous says:

        I think it means they live in Cayman. I know for a fact it does not mean that they are Caymanian, or that even if they are Caymanian, that their status cannot be revoked in the circumstances.

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