The University of Guyana lecturer accused of sexually molesting a student was charged and placed on bail at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Alvin Bowen, a lecturer attached to the Faculty of Social Sciences, was accused of sexually assaulting a female student on June 25, at the University’s Turkeyen Campus.
Bowen, who pleaded not guilty when the charge was read by Magistrate Alex Moore, was placed on $60,000 bail.
Bowen is scheduled to return to court on November 20.
The allegation against Bowen was made by a second-year student, who has said that the lecturer sought to buy her silence with the promise of a copy of an examination paper after he committed the act.
It is alleged that the episode occurred at his office, where the student would attend private tutoring sessions. During a tutoring session on the night of June 25, the student has alleged, Bowen placed his hands around her waist and tried to raise her shirt. It is claimed that he began caressing her back and tried to put his hands in her jeans. At this point, the student has said she pulled away from him and picked up her bag, while the lecturer proceeded to ask her what she was going to do for the examination paper.
It is alleged that the lecturer tried to pull the student back into his office after she picked up her bag and was about to leave. As she ran from his office to her vehicle, the student said, the lecturer told her not to tell anyone about what happened and said he was going to give her a copy of the examination paper.
The matter was reported to the police and Bowen was later charged.
