23-Year-Old Says She Reported A Police Officer Still Employed With V.I.P.D. Who Wanted To Molest Her; V.I.P.D. To Look Into Claim

ST. CROIX — A St. Croix woman who now lives on the U.S. mainland caused a stir over the past few days after posting on Facebook that 10 years ago, when she was 13, she reported that a police officer wanted to molest her and received little attention from the V.I.P.D. even after she had provided “hard” evidence.

Shelby Keyana DuBois’s post about the alleged incident has garnered over 250 shares on Facebook and well over 50 reactions. Residents even reached out to this publication demanding that The Consortium look into the matter.

“Today makes 10 years that I brought hardcore evidence and witnesses against a police officer in the Virgin Islands. This officer was the lead officer in a police cadet program .. I was 13. He would insist to take me home just to molest me.. && even tried to on my Bestfriend.. I had text.. I had audio .. and I made my statement with my mom right by my side. And till this day, 10 years later, he is still a police officer .. BUT VI SO NICE UH,” wrote Ms. DuBois on Tuesday.

The reaction from people here and abroad was swift: “The VIPD cannot be so desperate that they keeping a pedophile,” said Zee Procky in the comments section of the Facebook post. Monifa Veira added, “Sad.. I truly hope that one day you find closure in this unfortunate event.”

In an interview with The Consortium on Wednesday, where a wide range of issues were discussed — from the Hams Bluff double homicide of police officers, Winsbut McFarland’s promotion to territorial chief of police, the homicide count so far this year in the territory, and the alleged molestation of Ms. DuBois — Police Commissioner Delroy Richards said that the force would look into the matter and even commence an investigation, after speaking with Ms. DuBois and determining the merits of the allegation.

Mr. Richards he was not aware of the allegation before it was posted by Ms. DuBois. Even so, he said he reached out to the person in charge of the cadet program on St. Croix, who confirmed that Ms. DuBois was indeed part of a cadet program, but this person was not in charge of the program ten years ago — which is when Ms. DuBois says the incident occurred — and could not provide any information about the allegation, Mr. Richards said.

Mr. Richards, who joined the force through the cadet program in the 1968, said the program was placed on hold for multiple years, and was later resurrected. “She is the only one that can provide us with the specific details and the dates that she’s referencing, and the name that she is referencing,” Mr. Richards said. “That is why I suggested to my folks that she be encouraged to report to internal affairs with the information that she has, and give us an opportunity to look into it. Because whatever happened ten years ago — because I think from reading it, it talks about having the evidence and witnesses — I don’t even know who she spoke with.”

The Consortium reached out to Ms. DuBois on Wednesday, who would only confirm that the V.I.P.D. had reached out to her and that an investigation had commenced. “Thank you so much for reaching out to me! Someone has contacted me and we going forward with an investigation,” she wrote. Asked whether she was certain that the person she said violated her was still employed with the V.I.P.D., Ms. DuBois said, “I have nothing further to say.”

Ms. DuBois, who encouraged people to share the story, and changed her profile settings to public so that it could be viewed by all, told The Consortium on Wednesday that she would rather her picture not be used as part of our story. She is, however, seen in her own public post, which is embedded above.

The post has evoked the angst of many a Virgin Islander, some whose own stories of of being molested as children brought attention to a problem that has gone mostly untold in the territory.

According to data provided by the V.I.P.D., seen below, there were 33 reported rape cases in the territory in 2016, down from 51 in 2015.

“Look, as a child I went through the same,” said commenter More’Kera on Facebook. “I love when people bring sexual abuse awareness to the Virgin Islands; we are failing our tiny kings and queens.”

Another commenter, Merry John, said, “That’s sad, so sad. It goes on everyday, everyday damn day in the V.I. Injustice!”

There appears to be no statute of limitation for any rape crime in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which means if the case is pursued by the V.I.P.D., the alleged perpetrator could face trial and jail time. But even if a limitation existed on the alleged crime, Mr. Richards said the force would still move forward with an investigation and levy an appropriate action on the officer involved, if he is found wanting.

But Ms. DuBois’s post remains vague; while many have concluded that she was molested, Ms. DuBois’s post said the officer “insisted” on committing the act, not that he actually committed it. Even so, speaking with a 13-year-old about taking her home to have sex, is enough reason for the officer, if still employed at the V.I.P.D., to be immediately fired.

Mr. Richards said once Ms. DuBois provides the V.I.P.D. with the information she has other than what she already posted online (the audio tape, text messages, witnesses, and other information to build her case), the investigation would take effect. The commissioner said if the individual who allegedly molested Ms. DuBois is no longer employed with the force, “the other option would be to look at it from a criminal angle to see if there’s any factual information that could lead to a criminal apprehension of the individual.

“But as far as I’m concerned, I don’t even know what she’s talking about, so she needs to make that information available to the internal affairs unit, to give them an opportunity to at least look into it to determine whether or not the information is valid,” Mr. Richards concluded.