Twenty Years, Five Months for Sex Offender  

This morning in the High Court, Justice Nigel Pilgrim sentenced Jeffery Pott, a resident of Corozalito Village, to twenty years and five months in prison after convicting him of three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Pott, who previously lived in Belize City, was found guilty of having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl twice in 2021 and 2022, and again when she was fourteen. Justice Pilgrim explained that he considered both aggravating and mitigating factors in determining the sentence. He referenced Section 47-1-29 of the criminal code, which states that anyone who has sex with someone under sixteen, with or without consent, commits an offense punishable by a minimum of twelve years, up to life imprisonment. For those who have sex with someone between fourteen and sixteen, the punishment ranges from five to ten years. Additionally, Justice Pilgrim took into account the new sentencing guidelines of the Senior Courts of Belize, effective January 2025.