A magistrate faced condemnation from both the Government and Opposition for “shaking confidence in the justice system” after he failed to jail a man for sexually exploiting a 12-year-old girl.Khamisi Tokunbo found Joshua Crockwell guilty of getting the girl to attempt to perform a sex act.But Mr Tokunbo did not agree with a prosecutor’s suggestion that Crockwell, who was 20 at the time of the offence, should be jailed (see main story.) Instead, he handed him a suspended sentence.Responding to the news last night, Curtis Williams, a spokesman for the ruling Progressive Labour Party said: “The PLP considers that the suspended sentence handed down for the sexual exploitation of a minor raises legitimate concerns and has shaken confidence in our justice system.“We are confident that the Government will look to see if further policies are required to provide adequate safeguards for the protection of our children.”Meanwhile, Shadow Justice Minister Trevor Moniz said: “In general an offence of this nature calls for a custodial sentence.“Leniency can be extended where the age of the victim and the perpetrator are close eg If the female is 14 and the male 16.“An age difference of 12 and 20 is difficult to countenance and it is difficult to see what circumstances would not call for even a short custodial sentence.“The court needs to show the repugnance of society for such offences otherwise we are sending the wrong signal.“In any case it seems plain that the prosecution should be appealing the sentence as manifestly inadequate.”Justice Minister Kim Wilson said it would not be appropriate to comment on the case.