An elderly American tourist on Friday (Feb. 27) pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a Sandals La Toc employee – the same day he got married at the popular all-inclusive resort, a prosecutor has told St. Lucia News Online (SNO).
A Castries magistrate fined the 63-year-old man $10,000 for one count of indecent assault in which he is accused of touching and squeezing the buttocks of the female employee on stage while she was coordinating an entertainment event on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015.
The magistrate also ordered the man to pay EC$15,000 in compensation to the employee, who is in her early 20s.
An official from the Prosecution Department told SNO that at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the employee was coordinating an event in the area of the pool/bar for guests when the American came on the stage. The prosecutor said the man was not part of the activity and was not permitted on stage.
The man reportedly announced his marriage and was congratulated on the microphone by the employee and other guests. He remained on stage and got too close to the employee, making her feel uncomfortable, the prosecutor told SNO.
But the guest did not stop there. The prosecutor said during the first encounter the man passed his hand close to her breasts and vagina.
He also touched her buttocks on two consecutive occasions though the employee told him to stop and tried to stop him, the prosecutor said.
“He stopped a little while but did it a third time,” the prosecutor added. “When he did it a third time, he grabbed her buttocks, squeezed it and pulled it up. She held his hands and pushed him and told him to get off the stage.”
The humiliated and upset employee reported the matter to her employers then to the police, who arrested the guest on Feb. 25.
He was charged and brought to a magistrate’s court in Castries on Friday where he pleaded guilty.
According to the prosecutor, the man has until Monday to pay the fine of $10,000 and until next Friday to pay the compensation of $15,000. He will be sent to prison for a total of 12 months if he fails to pay both the fine and compensation.
He is currently out on bail, but not before being ordered to surrender his travel documents by the magistrate.
The prosecutor said the defendant’s wife was present in court. He was represented by an attorney.