Ads by Google Ads by Google

Family friend arrested for alleged sexual abuse of their 16 year old daughter

American Samoa DIistrict Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Police arrested a man from Ottoville last month, for the alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl. The man made his initial appearance in District Court last month. He is charged with first degree sexual abuse, a class D felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor.

Bond is set at $15,000 and a preliminary examination is next week. The court has denied a defense motion to reduce bond to $5,000.

If he is able to post bond, among other conditions, he is not to make any direct or indirect contact with the victim, and he is not to leave or attempt to leave the territory while his case is pending.

To protect the identity of the victim — a minor — Samoa News is withholding the defendant’s name.

THE CASE

The matter was reported to authorities by the victim’s aunt last month. Police who responded spoke to the caller, and the alleged victim and her mother. According to the government, the  man is a friend of the victim’s parents, and they are neighbors.

The man was not home when police arrived in the area. Neighbors told investigators that he took off when he saw police units heading towards the victim’s home.

According to the victim’s statement to police she went to the man’s house and asked for her dad’s shovel that he had borrowed two days prior. When she got to the house, he met her at the door and asked her to go straight to the kitchen and get the shovel standing in between the sink and the refrigerator.

According to the government, when the victim returned with the shovel and started to make her way to the door, that’s when he grabbed the girl by the arm and started touching/ rubbing her inappropriately.

The girl said she tried to escape because she could smell alcohol and she also saw empty beer bottles in the trash bin.

The victim told police she pushed him away, causing him to fall off the couch, but he was able to stand up and continue touching her inappropriately.

In the affidavit, police note that the victim was confident throughout the interview process. But when she mentioned the inappropriate touching, she began to tear up.

When questioned by police, the defendant strongly denied the allegation against him. He said he didn’t see the 16-year-old victim at his home the whole day. He said he drank the last of his leftover beer by noon on Sunday, and added that the reason why the victim’s family is making false accusations is because they want him off the land and out of the family.