A POLICE officer was yesterday charged with having unlawful sexual intercourse with two teenage girls.

Constable Kenroy Woolery appeared before Grand Bahama Magistrate Debbye Ferguson in Court 1, where he was charged with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

He was not required to enter a plea to the charges.

Woolery is accused of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a
15-year-old sometime in May 2009 and again on June 5.

On count three, it is alleged Woolery had unlawful sexual intercourse with another 15-yearold on June 1.

The prosecutor in the case also pointed out that Woolery is on $10,000 bail for a previous matter in Court 2 concerning possession of an illegal firearm.

Woolery has been interdicted from the police force pending the outcome of the matters which are before the courts.

Lawyer Carlson Shurland urged the court to grant his client bail.

He explained that Woolery was charged under Section 11 which falls under Part A of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, and not under Section B or C, which cover more serious offences.

Mr Shurland also questioned why the prosecution had not dealt with the unlawful sexual intercourse matters when they had initially charged Woolery with firearm possession.

?It was a deliberate and strategic move by the police to make sure that he is caught by this section and denied bail,? he said.

Mr Shurland expressed great concern for his client?s safety if remanded to Her Majesty?s Prison in Fox Hill.

?He is a policeman, and over the course of his career he would have made arrests and come in contact with criminal elements in society.

?He is also a witness against persons who are on remand,? he said.

Mr Shurland also noted that there is no evidence that Woolery would interfere with witnesses or commit an offence while on bail.

He said that Woolery has adhered to all conditions previously put in place by another Magistrate.

?He is a model person and that bodes well for him being put on bail,? his lawyer said.

The prosecution had no objection to bail as long as Woolery does not have contact with the witnesses.

However, the court denied him bail.

The matter was adjourned to December 9, 2009.