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Sending the wrong message

May 9, 2012Dear Sir,I sent the following letter to Premier Cox and the Attorney General:I write to express my astonishment and extreme disappointment at the sentence passed down on Joshua Crockwell by Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo yesterday. Joshua Crockwell, according to the prosecutor, “pushed his penis into her mouth”.This girl was 12 years old at the time — a child. Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo stated in court: “I don’t think as the Crown suggests, that society needs to be protected from you as a person who preys on young people”.I think that all our children need to be protected from the likes of Joshua Crockwell. This sentence sends the message that those in a position of power in Bermuda feel it is acceptable for a 12-year-old girl to be exposed to this, because Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo let this pervert go with a suspended sentence.Obviously there are minimum and maximum sentences for this type of crime and we need Judges who will hand down a sentence that fits the crime and I do not feel that this happened in this case.What has to be considered is just what kind of message this sends to men of all ages. It is telling them that it is OK to sexually exploit children and if they are caught and found guilty, all they will get is a slap on the wrist. It tells them that Bermuda does not care about its female children and that its acceptable to molest them. This man is a convicted paedophile who preys on children. The court system let him go and there is a great chance that he will do it again.The sentence handed down to Joshua Crockwell should be appealed and he should receive a sentence that fits the crime.I thank you for your attention.Royal Gazette readers: If you are reading this and if you are as disgusted with the sentence passed down to this paedophile as I am, please make your feelings known and write or e-mail your MP, the Premier (Premier@Gov.bm), the Attorney General (agc@gov.bm) or if you feel that Magistrate Tokunbo is at fault, sign the petition https://www.change.org/petitions/help-remove-khamisi-tokunbo-as-a-bermuda-magistrate or e-mail agc@gov.bm and express your disgust.If we remain silent, then this will keep happening. We need to protect children because, contrary to Magistrate Tokunbo’s opinion, they don’t know how to protect themselves. The sentence should be appealed and this paedophile should be given the long custodial sentence he deserves.A SOUSACity of Hamilton