A Grand Court judge has jailed child rapist George Martin Slijper, who contacted and groomed young girls over social media platforms, to 14 years in prison.
Slijper, a 26-year-old British national who has been living in Cayman since 2019, was convicted by jury in May 2024 of raping a 13-year-old girl in a public bathroom at a local hotel in 2023. In April last year, in a separate case, he pleaded guilty to raping another 13-year-old girl and sending sexual communications to an 11-year-old girl. He had contacted all three girls over Snapchat or Instagram.
Grand Court Judge Marlene Carter, who passed sentence on Slijper on Tuesday, 10 Feb., said this case had highlighted “the dire consequences for children of being groomed” over social media.
The judge noted that the most aggravating factor in the cases was the young ages of the children involved. She said the most relevant mitigating elements she had taken into account when determining an appropriate sentence was psychiatric and psychological reports that outlined Slijper’s mental health issues, which included post-traumatic stress disorder from his childhood.
The court had heard earlier from his defence attorney, Lee Halliday-Davis, that Slijper had been left for dead by his birth mother when he was a baby. He was later placed in foster care and adopted when he was 18 months old. He suffered from bi-polar disorder, ADD and ADHD, the court heard.
Two separate risk assessment reports on the defendant indicated that he had a medium or high risk of reoffending, the judge noted.
Carter noted that the victims in these cases, and their families, had been “profoundly impacted” by Slijper’s actions.
“It is telling that each of them seem to want to put matters behind them,” the judge said, in reference to the fact that the girls had not submitted significant details for victim impact reports.
“However, even with the limited information available, the lasting effects are evident, with the reports referring to anxiety attacks, the need for counselling, and lasting emotional upheaval,” she said.
Slijper had been convicted of a string of sexual offences in each of the cases.
In the first case, which had involved a trial, Carter sentenced Slijper to three years for sexual communication with a child; three years for meeting a child after sexual communications; 12 months for assault by penetration; two years for gross indecency; and eight years for rape. The sentences will run concurrently, for a total of eight years.
In the second case, the judge sentenced him to 15 months for sexual communication with a child; 15 months for assault by penetration; eight years for rape; six years for possessing indecent images of children; and 18 months for sexual communication with a child. The first four charges related to the 13-year-old, while the fifth related to the 11-year-old. Those sentences, to run concurrently, added up to eight years, but the judge allowed a 25% discount for Slijper’s eventual guilty plea, leaving a total of six years.
This means Slijper has received a sentence of 14 years, with time already served on remand to be deducted.
In an earlier sentencing hearing, on 16 Jan., Slijper’s defence lawyer Lee Halliday-Davis argued for him to be allowed to serve his sentence at a mental health facility in the UK, because of his emotional and developmental issues, brought on by his disturbing early childhood, and by the fact that he had the mental age of a 15-year-old.
Carter, in her ruling, noted that she had no power to order Slijper to serve his sentence in a secure mental health institution, as none existed on Cayman. She could also not stipulate that he serve his sentence in a secure facility in the UK, as only the Cayman Islands governor, under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act of 1884, could implement such an order.
She ordered that Slijper is required to take part in rehabilitative programme recommended by the probation service to address his sexual offending.
The judge also issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will be in force for 10 years following his eventual release from prison.
Related Videos
I didn’t see anything mentioned about him being placed on a sex offenders register. These children will be scarred for life while he gets 14 yrs..a slap on the wrist. He should serve his time in Cayman prison like the rest. SMH. What an insult to the children affected by him, when he knew good and well what he was doing.
My advice to all parents whether single parent or not is to stop putting cellphones in your daughters hands and if you do give them a phone you as a responsible parent should ensure that you are monitoring what they engage in over the internet . Be reminded these young girls hormones tick very early in this generation and when they are exposed to certain things that will negatively affect them they may not be mentally strong to understand this . These type of crimes are seriously increasing in Cayman and parents need to be more vigilant and stricter with their kids.
There isn’t anything wrong with him he was in very good senses to committ the acts he did. He needs to rub the full 14 years and no time off for good behavior . He needs to be put on a public register with photo and all who committ crimes like this likewise be put on a public sex offender register
I hope he is DEPORTED when he concludes his sentence .