Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Spanish Town, St. Catherine

The religious fraternity has again been rocked with allegations that one of their own has committed a sexual offence.

Rev. Galbert Simmonds of the New Temple Church of God, in Old Harbour, St. Catherine was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $100,000 to reappear in the Old Harbour Resident Magistrate's Court on August 24.

The court was told that, between August last year and May this year, the clergyman sexually assaulted a 25-year-old woman. It was further outlined that the female would on occasion, be visiting friends at the pastor's house when these acts of impropriety took place.

A report was lodged to the police on June 13, and formal charges were laid against the man of the'cloth'.

It was in March of this year that Pastor Oraine Ellis, 24 years old, was sentenced to three years hard labour in the St. Catherine Circuit Court for sexually assaulting several girls who were wards of the state and located at a girls home in St. Catherine.