Friday, November 6, 2015. Aaron Humes reporting: A jury of 8 women and one man today found 38 year old bus driver and supervisor Felipe Kotch of Benque Viejo Town not guilty of two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge.
The jurors returned this evening with the verdict after deliberating since 1:40 this afternoon in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas.
Kotch was accused of having sex with a 15 year old minor on two different occasions between March and April of 2010.
The child testified that the first time Kotch had sex with her was sometime in March or early April of 2010 inside a bus he drives that was parked at the Pound Yard Bridge in Belize City. The minor was 14 years and 11 months at that time.
The second sexual encounter, she said, occurred on April 18, 2010, 10 days after her 15th birthday.
Kotch who was represented in court by Attorney Leo Bradley, gave a dock statement denying the incident, claiming he was working the Benque to Belmopan route on Guerra’s Bus Line.