By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A JURY was directed to enter a not guilty verdict in the case of a 41-year-old man accused of asking a teen boy to ejaculate at a gas station on Baillou Hill Road in exchange for money last year.

Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns instructed the jury to acquit Fred Williams on a charge of attempted procuration, bringing the week-long trial to an end.

Prosecutors alleged Williams attempted to solicit sex from the then 14-year-old boy on 22 February 2024.

The teen testified last week that the defendant approached him at the Shell Service Station while he was on his bike. He told the court the defendant asked if he could keep a secret and then asked if he knew how to “come”, which he understood to mean ejaculating. He said the defendant then asked how far he could come and offered him $20 to $30.

The complainant also testified the defendant asked “how far can you peel it back,” referring to his privates. He said he reported the exchange to police after officers pulled up in a truck, leading to the defendant’s arrest.

Nathan Smith represented the accused, while Eucal Bonaby and Brent McNeil represented the prosecution.