adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A MARRIED Plumtree Town Council employee has appeared in court facing a charge of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
Luckton Mpala (28), who is employed by the local authority as a police officer, slept with a Form Three pupil at a local school on several occasions at his home during his wife’s absence.
Mpala was lucky to be acquitted of the charges after the juvenile admitted in court to have misrepresented her age to her lover.
Mpala is reported to have been having an affair with the juvenile since January.
Towards the end of the first term, Mpala invited the juvenile to his house in Mathendele area, Plumtree, where he had sexual intercourse with her for several days.
In his defence, Mpala said the juvenile had agreed to have sexual intercourse with him.
“I slept with her because we were in love. I did not force her to sleep with me but she did it willingly. She had also told me that she was 17 years old and I believed her.
“I later discovered that she was 15 years old after her parents confronted me and accused me of misleading their daughter who was still in school,” he said.
The State had to drop the case against Mpala after the juvenile admitted to having misrepresented her age to the accused person.
“I have been in love with Mpala for the past four months and we had sexual intercourse on several occasions. I lied to him as I told him that I was 17 years old. I was afraid that if I told him the truth he would not want to sleep with me anymore,” she said.
Prosecuting Mr Medica Tshuma said: “On 4 April Mpala persuaded the juvenile to accompany him to his house. While there they had sexual intercourse several times on different dates till 22 April.”
The matter came to light after the juvenile’s mother heard rumours that her daughter was dating a married man. The juvenile admitted that the rumours were true resulting in Mpala’s arrest.
Mpala appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Gideon Ruvetsa.
Online Reporter