A man already serving a prison sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl has been handed a further six years behind bars after admitting to blackmailing and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child — using an inappropriate video to coerce her into meeting him at an abandoned house, where he subjected her to multiple sexual acts.
Sole Spencer, in his late twenties, pleaded guilty on June 26 to two counts of serious indecency and one count of sexual intercourse with a female under the age of 14.
How a Predator Operated
The court heard that in 2024, Spencer came into possession of an inappropriate video of the child complainant. Rather than delete it, he weaponised it — contacting her with sexual demands and pressuring her to meet him for sexual purposes. He threatened to release the video unless she complied.
The complainant told Spencer she was a child. He persisted.
Fearing the video would be circulated, the child agreed to meet him. She followed him to an abandoned house, where he performed oral sex on her, directed her to perform oral sex on him, and had unprotected sexual intercourse with her.
The offence came to light days later when the complainant’s family learned the video was in circulation. The child disclosed what had happened, and the following day she and her mother attended the Special Victims Unit, where she gave a statement.
A Repeat Offender
This is not Spencer’s first conviction for crimes of this nature. In April of this year, he was sentenced to 38 months in prison after being found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl he had befriended on social media — a separate matter involving offences committed in 2022.
Spencer is therefore a convicted serial child sex offender. The pattern is documented by the courts themselves: the targeting of children through digital means, the exploitation of power imbalances, and the use of sexual violence against minors who were unable to protect themselves.
Six Years Added to an Existing Sentence
The six-year sentence imposed this week runs in addition to the 38 months Spencer is already serving. Together, the two sentences mean Spencer will spend a significant period behind bars — though whether the combined custodial term is proportionate to the serial sexual abuse of two children is a question the public will form its own view on.
A Case That Demands Broader Reflection
The Spencer case exposes several dimensions of child vulnerability that extend beyond any single offender. The existence and circulation of inappropriate material involving a child, the use of that material as a tool of coercion, the ability of an adult predator to contact a child and pressure her into a meeting, and the child’s fear that disclosure would bring consequences for her rather than her abuser — each element of this case reflects a failure of the protective systems that should surround every child in Antigua and Barbuda.
Parents, guardians, educators, and community members are reminded to maintain open, non-judgmental communication with children about online safety, to monitor digital interactions where possible, and to create an environment where a child who is being threatened or coerced feels safe enough to disclose what is happening to a trusted adult before it escalates.
