Jela inakuita! British sex pest convicted of raping young girls in Kilifi

Piece by: Queen Serem
InPictures

A British pensioner has been convicted of nine counts of child abuse in Kilifi.

Retired locksmith Keith Morris, 72, was tried in a British court following an investigation by United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) and Kenyan authorities.

He will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on July 17 this year.

“He befriended vulnerable families in Kenya, and then abused their children. He has been convicted of nine child abuse offences in the UK, demonstrating  there is no escaping justice,” the statement added.

Investigators revealed  Morris had been visiting a rural village in Kilifi county, where, under the pretext of supporting local families with household goods, clothing and education, he preyed on vulnerable children.

During a three-week trial in the UK, young victims gave evidence through a live video link from Mombasa.

One of the victims told the court Morris, who was known to her as Mozzy, had done “bad things” to her when they stayed at a hotel. The victim said he then told her she would be in trouble if she informed anyone about it.

The jury was told how Morris tried to interfere with the case by threatening witnesses to not give evidence, and attempting to influence his Kenyan associates.

Graham Ellis, NCA operations manager, said, “Morris spent many years integrating himself into the local community in Kenya, making him a trusted figure to people who lived there. He then abused this trust in the worst possible way.”

“Not only did he abuse and defile vulnerable children but he also attempted to manipulate and bribe them into helping him prove his innocence.”