By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 36-year-old resident of Harmonyville, Cayo District, is currently behind bars after being charged and remanded for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Hattieville Village, Belize District.
Nigel Crawford, a self-employed man who was the subject of a police wanted poster, surrendered himself to authorities on July 20, 2026. He subsequently appeared unrepresented in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where he was formally arraigned on a single charge of sexual assault. Crawford entered a plea of not guilty.
Due to the serious nature of the allegation, the tender age of the victim, and the prevalence of sexual offenses, bail was denied. Crawford was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until September 2026.
According to police details, the incident took place on the morning of July 13, 2026, at a residence in Hattieville. At around 10:00 a.m., while the child’s grandmother was asleep on a couch, Crawford invited the 11-year-old student into a room to watch television. When the minor attempted to leave minutes later, Crawford allegedly closed the door, threw her onto a bed, stripped her clothes, and covered her mouth with a T-shirt to silence her cries for help while holding her hands and touching her inappropriately.
The child was able to escape after her grandmother called out her name, prompting Crawford to release her. The victim immediately fled the room and reported what happened.
Police officers, along with a social worker from the Human Services Department, responded to the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. The minor was taken to a medical professional, who confirmed that she was not carnally known.
Following formal statements recorded from both the child and her grandmother, police issued a wanted poster for Crawford, leading to his eventual surrender and arrest.
The post Cayo man remanded for allegedly locking 11-year-old girl in room, stripping her, covering her mouth and fondling her while her grandmother slept outside on the couch appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 36-year-old resident of Harmonyville, Cayo District, is currently behind bars after being charged and remanded for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Hattieville Village, Belize District. Nigel Crawford, a self-employed man who was the subject of a police wanted poster, surrendered himself to authorities on July 20, 2026.
The post Cayo man remanded for allegedly locking 11-year-old girl in room, stripping her, covering her mouth and fondling her while her grandmother slept outside on the couch appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
