Private security guard charged with defilement after allegedly flashing 12-year-old girl

A 41-year-old man from Fgura has been charged with a number of offences, including defilement of a minor, after allegedly exposing himself to a 12-year-old girl whom he followed into a secluded parking lot, after stopping his car to speak to her.

The girl’s mother had accompanied her traumatised daughter as she filed a report at the Paola police station, shortly after the incident. The court was told that the police had identified the accused, private security guard Louis Calleja, after analysing CCTV footage.

Prosecutor Sean Azzopardi, from the Office of the Attorney General, told the court that the mother and daughter had reported that a man whom the girl did not know had been sitting in his car when he asked her his name and “whether she liked boys or girls.”  He said Calleja had then followed the girl to a parking lot and at one point exposed his private parts to her, before the terrified girl ran away.

Together with police inspectors Kylie Borg and Sarah K. Zerafa, Azzopardi accused the man of defiling a minor under the age of 16, subjecting the child to unwanted acts of a sexual nature, as well as passing on indecent material to the girl. 

Police arrived at Calleja after identifying the vehicle used, which belonged to the accused, the court was told.

Defence lawyers Lennox Vella and Daniel Buttigieg attempted to convince the court to order a ban on the publication of the name of the accused, arguing that he was still presumed innocent at this stage and could lose his job, as well as suffer irreparable damage to his reputation, even if he were to eventually be acquitted. 

The prosecution objected to this request, highlighting the fact that Calleja was a recidivist and pointing out that the accused had no links to the alleged victim. The defence countered by alleging that the man’s prior conviction was for a traffic offence.

The court denied the request for a ban on the publication of the accused’s name.

During submissions on bail, both defence and prosecution agreed that there was no obstacle to bail due to the absence of any connection between the victim and the accused.

It was emphasised that Calleja is a Maltese citizen and resident, who was also gainfully employed. His criminal record was also unblemished, submitted the defence, stressing that he was aware of the serious consequences of breaching any eventual bail conditions.

The court rejected the request for bail at this stage, but ordered the prosecution to summon the girl to testify at the first sitting of the man’s compilation of evidence. A protection order was also issued in favour of the alleged victim.