House help jailed for 5 years for sending her boyfriend images of 7-year-old girl

A middle-aged woman has been sentenced to five years in prison or pay a Ksh.15 million fine for taking pictures of a seven-year-old girl and sending them to her boyfriend.

Appearing before Milimani Children’s Court Principal Magistrate Jackie Kibosia, the accused Sharon Wabwile was convicted of the offence of undertaking child pornography.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), in a statement on Tuesday, said it had sought compensation for the victim, arguing that the minor had suffered emotional damage.

“The prosecution through Victor Preston Owuor submitted during the sentencing hearing that the victim had suffered emotional loss and prayed for compensation under Section 26 of the Victim Protection Act,” stated the ODPP.

The court heard that Wabwile who was at the time working as a house help, took several naked images of the minor she was taking care of while she was asleep and sent them to her boyfriend who had asked for them.

The Magistrate found the suspect guilty on all three counts and also ordered her to pay “a restitution amount of Ksh.2 million to the victim,” which takes precedence over the fine.

The court further directed that, in the event the convict is unable to raise the restitution amount, then the victim can claim it through the Victim Protection Trust Fund.

Magistrate Kibosia also ordered that the images be expunged from all social, print, and visual media platforms and that the phone that was used to take the images be forfeited to the Communications Authority of Kenya.