Posted: Friday, October 17, 2025. 6:18 pm CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A San Pedro construction worker and musician, 33-year-old Jose Joel Mejia, has been sentenced to 16 years, 11 months, and 19 days in prison for the rape of a 14-year-old girl.
Mejia was convicted on April 14, 2025, for the incident which occurred on February 25, 2021, in San Pedro Town. His sentencing was handed down today by Justice Nigel Pilgrim in the High Court.
Justice Pilgrim began with a starting point of 15 years, adding five years for aggravating factors, including the young age of the victim. He then deducted three years for mitigating factors—Mejia’s lack of previous convictions and positive character references—to arrive at a final sentence of 17 years, which was backdated to the date of conviction.
As a result, Mejia will serve just under 17 years behind bars.
During trial, Mejia denied the accusation and presented two alibi witnesses, but the court rejected his defense. Justice Pilgrim said he found the complainant, who was 18 at the time of testifying, to be “reliable and honest.” The victim’s prompt police report and her mother’s corroborating testimony were key in securing the conviction.
Prosecuting the case was Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, assisted by Crown Counsel Maria Santana-Nembhard. Mejia was represented by Attorney David McKoy, who was absent from court during the sentencing.
In his mitigation hearing, Mejia’s common-law wife and a woman who helped raise him described him as a kind person and a talented musician—but despite their appeals, the court determined that the severity of the crime warranted a substantial custodial sentence.
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The post San Pedro musician singing ‘Jailhouse Rock’ for the next 16 years after conviction for raping 14-year-old girl; Common-law-wife spoke on his behalf appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Friday, October 17, 2025. 6:18 pm CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: A San Pedro construction worker and musician, 33-year-old Jose Joel Mejia, has been
The post San Pedro musician singing ‘Jailhouse Rock’ for the next 16 years after conviction for raping 14-year-old girl; Common-law-wife spoke on his behalf appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
