NANDI, Kenya, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Olympic and world 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto was freed Monday on 200,000 shillings (1,850 U.S. dollars) cash bond by Kapsabet court, Nandi County after pleading not guilty to defiling a 15-year-old girl.
The athlete was accused of defiling a 15-year-old girl between Oct. 20 and 21 in Motwot.
It is an offense to defile a girl under 18 years in Kenya under the Sexual Offenses Act 2006. He could be jailed for up to 14 years if found guilty.
Kipruto who was arrested on Nov. 11 appeared before the court under tight security while in a hood to avoid cameras that were waiting.
He appeared via zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic before Principal Magistrate D. Ochar and police tried to stop journalists from taking his pictures. The case will be tried on May 10, 2021.
The Prosecution said the 25-year-old athlete eloped with the teenager prompting the parents to report the incident at a local police station.
A report filed at the local police station by the teenager's parents, says Kipruto eloped with the girl on Oct. 20.
The girl's parents allege that their daughter, who went missing from home, was at the athlete's home in Chesumei.
Upon returning home after three days, they interrogated their daughter seeking an explanation on where she had been.
According to the police report, the girl allegedly refused to disclose where she had been, and upon examining her phone log, it was discovered that she had been in constant communication with Kipruto.
Kipruto won gold in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2016 Olympic Games and did the same in 2017 and 2019 in the world championships in London and Doha respectively.
He took the mantle from Ezekiel Kemboi. Enditem
