A 30-year-old Airtel agent has been dragged to court for allegedly defiling his sisters-in-law aged 10 and 14 and infecting them with HIV.

The accused has also been sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour for contempt of court because he had been eluding the proceedings.

In this matter, Micheal Old is charged with two counts of defilement of a child contrary to section 138 (1) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

It is alleged in the first and second counts that Old, between January 2, 2018 and March 13, 2019 in Lusaka, had unlawful carnal knowledge of two girls under the age of 16.

Old, however, denied the charges.

Allegations in the matter are that the 14-year-old victim went to visit her elder sister in Kabangwe but only found her husband, Old, who was in the living room.

He advised her to wait for her sister to return from church and she asked for his phone to play games in order to keep herself busy.

Surprisingly, he started touching her breasts and when she tried to resist, he warned her not to scream because he would do something bad to her sister if she alerted any person.

She became scared and promised him to be quiet.

He continued arousing her and took her to his bedroom where he defiled her without a condom.

Old continued having sex with her in his house on five occasions while his wife was away for church programmes.

At some point, he had sex with her in the presence of her 11-year-old sister.

He also defiled the 11-year-old on seven occasions between January 2018 and March this year.

When the two victims were later taken to the hospital, it was discovered that Old had infected them with HIV.

However, when the matter came up for commencement of trial before magistrate Faides Hamaundu, Thursday, Old pleaded with the court to give him time to engage a lawyer.

The matter has dragged at the expense of the accused, who was eluding court after being released on police bond.

He only appeared before court after being brought on bench warrant.

Magistrate Hamaundu then convicted and sentenced him to four months imprisonment with hard labour for contempt of court.

The matter comes up on October 1, this year, for commencement of trial in respect of the defilement case.