Popular Jamaican TikToker Ansel Fairclough, better known as Pops YG, has been formally charged with having sex with a person under the age of 16, following a court order directing the police to either charge him or release him from custody by Monday evening.
His attorney, Donnovan Collins, confirmed the development on Monday evening, stating that the police had complied with the order issued earlier in the day by Senior Parish Court Judge Vaughn Facey in the Trelawny Parish Court.
The judge had given the police until 6:00 p.m. Monday to formally charge Fairclough or release him, following a habeas corpus application filed by Collins on behalf of his client.
During the court proceedings, Collins argued that Fairclough had remained in police custody beyond the 120-hour period permitted under Jamaica’s Bail Act without being formally charged. The attorney maintained that the authorities were required to comply with the country’s legal provisions, regardless of the nature of the allegations being investigated.
“As such, if there is going to be integrity in the administration of justice, there must be compliance with the laws of Jamaica by everyone,” Collins argued.
Fairclough had been in police custody since the previous Monday, when he was arrested by detectives attached to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).
The investigation centres on allegations that the social media personality engaged in sexual activity with a minor, prompting an investigation by the specialised police unit.
With the formal charge now laid, attention has shifted to Fairclough’s upcoming court appearance. Collins said arrangements were still being finalised for a date when his client would appear before the court.
The matter remains before the judicial system, and the allegations against Fairclough have yet to be tested in court.