By Breaking Belize News Staff: Convicted sex offender Shania Welch, who last week pleaded guilty to making child pornography and sexually assaulting a minor after filming a viral video in which she made a child penetrate her with a Dove deodorant bottle, failed to appear in the High Court on Thursday for her scheduled sentencing before Justice Nigel Pilgrim.
Welch, who entered a plea agreement with the Crown on Friday, November 14, 2025, was expected to receive a sentence reflecting time already served — five months and 24 days on remand — along with mandatory counselling and a written letter of apology to the young victim and her family. However, when her name was called at 1:09 p.m., she was nowhere to be found, and by 2:00 p.m. she had still not shown up.
Her attorney, Nazira Myles-Espat, appearing virtually, told the court that Welch’s absence was highly unusual, noting that she has always appeared early and consistently for all previous hearings. Myles-Espat requested a short adjournment to contact her client, insisting she did not believe the absence was intentional.
Justice Pilgrim agreed and adjourned the matter to tomorrow, Friday, November 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Despite the serious nature of Welch’s convictions, he did not issue a bench warrant or notice to her surety, noting her previously reliable court attendance.
Welch pleaded guilty after plea discussions with the Crown, which recommended a non-custodial outcome beyond time already served: counselling sessions facilitated by the Human Services Department and a written apology to the victim. The charges stem from an incident between December 31, 2020, and January 1, 2022, during which Welch forced a minor to engage in a sexual act involving a deodorant spray, an act she recorded. The video later went viral, prompting a police investigation and her indictment on September 17, 2025.
The court is expected to proceed with sentencing once Welch appears on Friday.
The post Shania Welch fails to show up in court for sentencing after pleading guilty to child pornography over viral ‘Dove deodorant video’; she was expected to get time served and counseling appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Convicted sex offender Shania Welch, who last week pleaded guilty to making child pornography and sexually assaulting a minor after filming a viral video in which she made a child penetrate her with a Dove deodorant bottle, failed to appear in the High Court on Thursday for her scheduled sentencing
The post Shania Welch fails to show up in court for sentencing after pleading guilty to child pornography over viral ‘Dove deodorant video’; she was expected to get time served and counseling appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.