A 20-year-old St. Croix man was arrested by detectives of the Domestic Violence Bureau and charged with the rape of an 8-year-old girl, according to the V.I. Police.
Sharmoy Stevens has been charged with first-degree aggravated rape, first-degree unlawful sexual contact, child abuse and violation of the Computer and Child Exploitation Prevention Act.
The news release did not say when the arrest took place.
Police said Stevens began abusing the minor soon after he arrived on St. Croix from his native island of Antigua on Oct. 22.
He was held on a $125,000 bail and remanded to the custody of the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility pending further court action.
Under the V.I. Code, suspects charged with first-degree aggravated rape where the perpetrators use force, intimidation or a position of authority over a victim under the age of 16, can face between 15 years to life in prison, if convicted.
