A woman believed to have unlawfully confined a teenage girl and exposed her to lesbian pornography has been charged with failing to protect a child from sexual exploitation.
Maureen Njoki Irungu was charged with willfully failing to protect Jane (not her real name) from exposure to obscene materials namely lesbianism pornographic pictures.
Njoki is alleged to have committed the offence on 26th August 2017 at Kasarani in Nairobi sub county.
The offender pleaded not guilty before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi and was granted bond.
Njoki was granted a bond of Sh 500,000 or a cash bail of Sh 200,000.
The Magistrate declined her prayer to reduce her bond terms saying the offence she had been charged with was serious.
Jane’s disappearance
Jane who is a form three student in a Kakamega School is alleged to have gone missing on17th August 2017 after leaving her mother’s boutique in the CBD.
According to the police, Jane’s mother last saw her after she left her boutique at Kenyatta Avenue where she was plaiting her daughter’s hair in preparation for school opening.
The accused is said to have picked the schoolgirl at Club L.A along Tom Mboya street on 17 August 2017.
On 21st August 2017, investigations through call data revealed that she was somewhere in Kasarani.
The cell data enabled the police to trace another teenager who studies at Mount Kenya University (MKU), whose phone Jane had used to send a text message.
The MKU student led the police to the suspects place of work at Club L.A where she was arrested.
The suspect led officers to her house at Red Soil in Mwiki, Kasarani and upon searching her house 20 portraits of lesbianism and Jane’s dress were recovered.
However, Jane was not found but it was alleged she had stayed in that house for two days.
Prosecution has four witnesses so far.
This comes in the midst of a court case where lesbians and homosexual community want legalization of consensual same sex.
According to the constitution, those found guilty of committing same sex are liable to imprisonment for 14 years.
The group wants this section of the constitution declared null and void
The case will be heard on 5th April 2018.
