A Malindi court has sentenced Justin Karisa Thoya to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty of defiling a seven-year-old boy in Kilifi County.

Malindi Resident Magistrate Eva Mirriam Adhiambo handed down the sentence after the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Thoya was convicted of defilement under Section 8(1), as read with Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act.

The court heard that the offence occurred on June 14, 2025, in the Jacaranda area of Malindi Sub-County, where the accused unlawfully defiled the minor.

During the trial, the boy told the court that he had gone out to graze livestock when Thoya approached him and asked him to help look for another cow in the bushes.

The child said that after the incident, the accused warned him against telling anyone what had happened and threatened his life.

The boy later gathered the courage to tell his mother about the ordeal. She took him to hospital, where he was examined and treated.

The victim’s mother testified that her son had told her he was defiled while at the grazing grounds.

She said she sought medical attention after learning what had happened and that the child was found bleeding.

A medical officer who examined the boy told the court that the child had been brought to the hospital by his parents with complaints of defilement.

The examination revealed swelling and pain around the anus, with the doctor concluding that anal penetration had occurred.

The prosecution, led by Prosecution Counsel Ahmed Omar, presented four witnesses to support the case.

An investigating officer also testified, confirming the boy’s age through his birth certificate.

In her judgment, Magistrate Adhiambo found that the prosecution had established the child’s age, identified Thoya as the perpetrator and proved penetration beyond reasonable doubt.

“I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person defiled the complainant,” the magistrate ruled.

Thoya had reportedly been out on bond before disappearing for eight months, forcing investigators to track him down.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Malindi, working alongside Kizingo Police Station officers, eventually traced him to Hindi in Lamu County, where he was arrested.

Following his rearrest, the court cancelled his bond, allowing the trial to proceed to its conclusion.

The court sentenced Thoya to 30 years’ imprisonment and granted him 14 days to appeal against both his conviction and sentence.