Belize: 70-year-old Man sentenced to 19½ years for sexual abuse of minor

Belize: Henry Hulse, a 70-year old Belizean and U.S. deportee, has been given 19 years and 6 months in prison. He is reported to have raped an 11-year old boy. The sentence was ruled out by Justice Nigel Pilgrim, signalling the accused may spend the rest of his life in prison.

According to the official police report, Hulse was living in an abandoned bus at the time of the offense. He took advantage of his position of trust to abuse a very young child. The victim was 58 years younger than him.

The boy had 3 instances of oral sex performed on him. The abuse took place within the bus. The victim’s brother had witnessed the acts and he was aware of what was going on at the back of the bus.

The boy shared his feelings during a victim impact statement, stating he felt humiliated and emotionally scared. He said that he is psychically scarred by the incident. The victim has also faced teasing from other kids since the abuse.

During the court hearing, Justice Pilgrim described the harm inflicted upon the child as “Category 2 high harm.” He said that the victim may experience severe emotional issues and mental scars in the future.

Justice Pilgrim used a clear set of rules in determining Hulse’s punishment:-

• He started out with 16 years in prison, a term which is one year above the mandatory minimum because Hulse abused a position of trust.
• The judge gave a 22 year sentence, considering that the victim was a child who had no protection at the time of the incident and also because this type of crime is a large issue in the society.
• On the other hand, the court reduced the term, as no physical violence was reported. The judge also said that this is the first time Hulse has been in trouble for such issues. More consideration was given to the fact that he had good character which plays in his favor and also there is a chance of his rehabilitation.
• After a large-scale review, he set the final sentence at 19 years and 6 months, dating back to June 12, 2024, and includes the time Hulse spent in jail.

“While he is of age and may die in jail, that should not deter the court from imposing a just sentence,” said Justice Pilgrim during the court proceedings. 

Other than his term in prison, Hulse is also required to undergo mandatory counselling and mental treatment at the Kolbe Foundation’s facility for sex offenders. In addition, the accused cannot change his address to ensure proper monitoring by the authorities.