By Latrishka Thomas
A bus driver who turned the practice of offering rides into opportunities for preying on young females has received an additional sentence of nine years and four months after he admitted to raping another young victim.
Addison Browne, who is now in his late 40s, appeared before Justice Ann-Marie Smith yesterday where he changed his plea to guilty, acknowledging he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 2020.
This sentence will run consecutively to the 13-year term he is currently serving for a similar offence against a another 13-year-old victim in 2019.
On October 21, 2020, Browne offered the victim and her cousin a ride in his car as they were returning home from school. After dropping off the cousin, he drove to a location in Bendals where he parked and had unprotected sexual intercourse with the minor.
Days later, the victim called Browne expressing concern about potential pregnancy and what to tell her father. Browne instructed her to keep the incident secret, suggesting she blame someone else if necessary, and offered to take her for tests. Unbeknownst to him, this conversation was recorded, leading to charges against him months later.
Following a Goodyear indication — a request a defendant can make to the court for an advance indication of the maximum sentence they would likely receive if they pleaded guilty at that stage of the proceedings — requested by defence attorney Wendel Alexander, Browne changed his plea to guilty after being re-arraigned.
The jury formally found him guilty, and Justice Smith ordered that he receive counselling to address paedophilic behaviour in addition to his prison sentence. This case was prosecuted by Daniel Lattery.
Browne’s previous conviction stemmed from an April 2019 incident when he offered a ride to a young girl and her aunt. After dropping the aunt and her friend at the St John’s Police Station, he was entrusted to take the minor home.
The victim testified that she fell asleep in the car and awoke to find her hands and feet bound with white rope. Browne had driven to a secluded area in Potters where he sexually assaulted her before taking her home.
His pattern of exploiting vulnerable young passengers has now earned him nearly a quarter-century behind bars.
