Posted: Thursday, November 6, 2025. 7:58 pm CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A late evening verdict was handed down on Thursday evening, finding Frances Nolberto, 49, guilty on both counts of assault of a child under the age of 16 by penetration and sexual assault. The charges stemmed from incidents in 2022 when Nolberto was accused of molesting a then six-year-old child on the same day.
The High Court trial, heard by Justice Nigel Pilgrim without a jury, concluded with the judge rejecting Nolberto’s defense. The offenses included fondling the little girl’s private parts with his fingers (assault by penetration) and licking her private parts (sexual assault).
The nine-year-old victim, who testified in camera, was found to be credible and reliable by Justice Pilgrim. In his defense, Nolberto, represented by attorney Ronell Gonzalez, gave an unsworn dock statement denying the allegations and notably using the line, “It wasn’t me,” a phrase popularized by the Shaggy song. While he admitted to being at the house where the child was at the time of the incident on April 11, 2022, he claimed he had left earlier. He called no alibi witnesses.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Portia Staine-Ferguson represented the Crown, calling six witnesses during the three-day trial.
Nolberto has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison. His sentencing is set for December 5, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. By law, he faces a minimum of 12 years up to life imprisonment for the count of assault by penetration, and a maximum of seven years for sexual assault.
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The post Frances Nolberto swears ‘it wasn’t me’ but Judge finds him guilty of molesting 6-year-old little girl appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Thursday, November 6, 2025. 7:58 pm CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: A late evening verdict was handed down on Thursday evening, finding Frances Nolberto,
The post Frances Nolberto swears ‘it wasn’t me’ but Judge finds him guilty of molesting 6-year-old little girl appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.