Crown Appeals After Jesse Fyah Avoids Prison for Sexual Offences
The prosecution has moved to challenge the sentence imposed on entertainer Harrison Horsford, better known as Jesse Fyah, after a High Court judge ordered him to pay $8,000 for two sexual offences committed against a young woman in 2020.
The sentence requires Horsford to pay a $5,000 compensation award to the complainant following his conviction for serious indecency and a $3,000 fine to the State for indecent assault. Prosecutors have already filed an appeal, arguing that the punishment is unduly lenient and does not reflect the seriousness of the offences, which each carry maximum prison terms of up to five years.
Horsford had remained in custody since May, when a jury convicted him on both counts after deliberating for less than an hour.
The case arose from an encounter on Oct. 27, 2020, involving a woman in her early twenties who had known Horsford for several years. The pair had previously maintained what the court described as a casual relationship.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the complainant accepted a lift from Horsford, believing he was taking her home. Instead, he drove to the Darkwood area, explaining that he needed to meet someone regarding a billboard.
According to the prosecution’s case, no such meeting took place.
Once there, Horsford allegedly began making sexual advances that the complainant repeatedly rejected. The court heard that he kissed her against her will, grabbed her by the throat as she resisted, exposed and fondled her breasts, and forcibly touched her genital area while telling her she belonged to him.
Despite her repeated pleas to be taken home, Horsford instead ordered her out of the vehicle, leaving her on the roadside.
A passing motorist stopped after seeing the complainant. The driver later testified that she was crying, visibly shaken and holding her clothing together before asking to be taken to the Johnson Point Police Station, where she made a report.
Horsford denied committing the offences. In an unsworn statement from the dock, he claimed he had simply offered the complainant a ride after seeing her standing in the rain. He told jurors they spoke amicably during the journey and that he had even offered to help her secure employment.
He further claimed the complainant requested $3,000 from him, which he refused to provide. According to Horsford, he dropped her off without incident and only learned of the allegations later that evening after receiving a Facebook message accusing him of rape. He said he responded by warning that legal action would follow if false allegations continued.
The jury rejected Horsford’s version of events and convicted him on both charges.
While delivering sentence, Justice Ann Marie Smith observed that Horsford appeared to believe the complainant’s perceived sexual history entitled him to treat her as he did. The judge rejected that notion, emphasizing that every woman has the right to refuse unwanted sexual advances and that consent must be respected regardless of past relationships or reputation.
George Lake represented Horsford throughout the trial, while Crown Counsel Curtis Cornelius prosecuted the case.
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