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Masvingo Correspondent
A 25-year-old man from Masvingo has been fined $100 or 30 days in prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
Lloyd Hove of 4282 Westview Drive, Industrial site was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before Masvingo magistrate Ms Dorothy Mwanyisa on Thursday. He was sentenced to three months in prison of which two months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The remaining one month was suspended on condition that he pays a fine of $100.
In mitigation, Hove told the court that he was not aware that the girl was a minor. “My Worship, I did not know that the girl was a minor. She told me that she was 16 years old,” he said.

The State case as presented by Ms Shamiso Masokovere was that on 16 May, Hove and his 13-year-old girlfriend who lives in the same neighbourhood had consensual sex after she had sneaked into his bedroom at night.

The court heard that, four days later, the girl’s father got wind of his daughter’s sexual escapades with Hove.
The father confronted Hove and asked him but he did not cooperate.

He then reported the matter to the police leading to Hove’s arrest.