The Canadian tourist charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 80-year-old grandmother with Alzheimer's disease at a luxury resort in the Bahamas has been released on bail and allowed to return to his home country.
Gordon Wilkie, 61, of New Waterford, Nova Scotia, was granted $30,000 bail this week after being charged with rape in the Jan. 28 attack at the Warwick Hotel Paradise Island Bahamas.
“This is devastating,” the victim's son, David Ahrens, told , saying the family had received “no notice or details” about a bail hearing before the verdict.
Wilkie, a community college renewable energy professor, is accused of separating the vulnerable victim from her daughter in an elevator and raping her in his hotel room.
Prosecutors had opposed bail for Wilkie, but Judge Franklyn Williams granted it Monday after the suspect's lawyer raised health concerns and said his blood pressure was not being properly treated in prison.
Gordon Wilkie, 61, of New Waterford, Nova Scotia, was released on bail after being charged with rape in a shocking incident on January 28 at the Warwick Hotel Paradise Island Bahamas
According to David Ahrens, his 80-year-old mother (above) and sister were on a short vacation together in the Bahamas when the attack occurred
Wilkie was eligible for release on Thursday, but as of Friday afternoon it did not appear he had posted bail.
His lawyer Ryszard Humes declined to comment when reached by .
A person familiar with the case told that Wilkie was free to return to Canada on bail pending trial.
However, he must return to the Bahamas to appear in court on May 29 to file a voluntary indictment and then face charges in the Supreme Court, the person said.
A source close to the prosecution said they had difficulty proving that Wilkie was a flight risk and that he had no criminal record in the Bahamas, weakening their argument that he should be denied bail.
Last week, was first to report that Wilkie is a faculty member at Novia Scotia Community College, where he specializes in renewable energy, and was placed on leave following his arrest.
According to a 2021 interview with CBC News, Wilkie runs a solar power installation company and was a renewable energy lecturer at the NSCC Dartmouth campus.
The victim in the Bahamas rape case is also Canadian, but her family has no connection to the accused attacker other than she happened to stay at the same resort while on vacation.
The victim's son, Ahrens, who publicly shared his mother's photo but asked that her name be withheld, said the family was speaking out to demand “complete justice” for her and to protect others from the dangers faced by vulnerable people Warn family members.
According to Ahrens, his mother was traveling with his sister for a short vacation in the Bahamas when the attack occurred.
Ahrens said his sister kept a close eye on their mother throughout the trip, but the brazen kidnapping occurred in a split second when they were separated in an elevator.
The victim was traveling with her daughter when she was allegedly kidnapped and raped by another guest at the Warwick Hotel Paradise Island Bahamas (above) on January 28
Wilkie is a faculty member at Novia Scotia Community College, where he specializes in renewable energy, and was placed on leave following his arrest
Wilkie runs a solar power installation company and was a renewable energy lecturer at the NSCC Dartmouth campus
Ahrens said that on the last night of the trip, his sister and mother sat at happy hour and chatted with friends they met at the resort.
The group included U.S. Homeland Security Special Agent Tom Justice, who was temporarily in the Bahamas.
According to Ahrens, Wilkie, who they had not met before, invited himself to join them.
“They thought it was strange, but you know, everyone’s on vacation,” he said.
Ahrens said that when the group of friends got up for dinner, Wilkie also invited himself, which they also found “a little strange.”
After dinner, Ahrens said Wilkie got into the same elevator as his sister and mother, who went to their shared room to get ready for bed.
When the elevator reached their floor, the sister got out, but when she turned to help her mother, the doors were already closing, he said.
He said that according to his sister, the doors appeared to close faster than normal, but noted that there was no camera in the elevator to show whether the “close door” button had been pressed.
“Then panic sets in,” he said. “They looked for my mother and asked reception and security for help, which they did not do for more than half an hour.”
The Warwick Paradise Islands Bahamas did not respond to a request for comment from .
Agent Justice and other guests immediately joined the search, walking the hotel hallways for about 40 minutes and calling out the victim's name.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Tom Justice (above), who happened to be staying at the same hotel, proved to be a hero in the case
Canadian real estate agent David Ahrens comes forward to reveal that his 80-year-old mother (upstairs with him) was kidnapped and raped at the Warwick Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas
When Bahamian police finally arrived, Justice received a group text message from the resort friends involved in the search and made his way to the hotel lobby to meet with police.
“He pushes on the floor he was on and the elevator arrives, the doors open and there is my mother with the attacker,” Ahrens said.
“He saw him and at the same time he could see my mother holding her underwear. So he reacted immediately, just went into the elevator and pinned him,” he added.
Wilkie was arrested by Bahamian authorities and accused of raping the vulnerable woman in his hotel room.
A hospital examination confirmed that the 80-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted, and Ahrens said she was able to give a detailed statement despite her memory impairment.
“She issued a statement about the incident that evening and was very, very detailed,” he said.
Although Ahrens was not on the trip with his mother, he flew down immediately when he learned of the attack and listened in horror as a police sergeant read him the statement his mother had given at the hospital.
“It's shockingly detailed and very disturbing.” It's just terrible. Nobody should ever hear something like that. Period.'
Ahrens says his sister and other guests at the Warwick immediately initiated a search, but claims hotel staff did not respond to their calls for help
The Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte field office issued a statement confirming the incident and praising Agent Justice.
“HSI management is aware of the actions SA Justice took during his temporary service and is proud of the way he went above and beyond to protect the well-being of others,” the statement said.
“His actions meet the highest standards of this agency.”
Arhen has started a GoFundMe campaign to cover his mother's medical and legal costs. He says the family plans to attend the trial, but not his mother, fearing the courtroom would overwhelm them.
“Ultimately, we have a long road ahead of us to get justice for my mother,” he told on Friday.
“It is beyond disappointing that any legal system would allow a street predator to roam free.” “Citizens beware.”