Crime

Man Arrested on Rape Charges After Minor Claims He Gave Her Marijuana, Pestered Her for Sex

ST. CROIX — A 26-year-old man was arrested on charges of rape after an explicit video was posted suggesting he and a minor girl had a sexual encounter. The VIPD’s Criminal Investigations Bureau began its probe into the matter on August 24, 2022, after a man made a report that there had been an explicit video of his minor sister posted on Facebook. It is believed that the video was made in 2021, when the girl was 16 years old.  Police made contact with the now-17 year old, who told them that the man alleged to be in the video, Dante James, had been her steelpan instructor when she was younger.  When she got older, police heard, James befriended the girl on social media and by her account, the two developed a strong friendship.  According to the narrative set out in documents presented before the court, the minor child one day asked James for a ride to a friend's house to collect some of her belongings. When they arrived,  however, the friend was not at home. James then reportedly sug...