Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 30, 2026, a concerned father walked into the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) and reported an alleged sexual assault matter involving two of his daughters ages 10 and 12. The suspect when interviewed by police confirmed what the two young girls said he did.

The suspect was larrested and charged with:
Count 1, 2, & 3: Assault in the Third Degree, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of not more than $300, or both imprisonment and fine;
Count 4: False Imprisonment, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up t0 one year, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both;
Count 5: Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D felony punishable by imprisonment of not more than $5,000, or both; and,
Count 6: Attempted Rape, a class C felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than seven years, a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

(Samoa News has withheld the names of those involved to protect the identities of the victims who are minors in this case.)

According to the court affidavit, the father of the victims walked into the TPS at approximately 6:15 p.m and reported a possible sexual assault involving his two daughters ages 10 and 12. Local authorities were dispatched to the alleged victims’ home and upon arrival they were directed towards where they were. 

Both girls were taken and interviewed separately at the TPS where they both identified the suspect.

Investigators first met with victim #1, a 12-year old female, and interviewed her in the presence of her father. According to victim #1, earlier in the day at around 2 p.m., she and her little brother went over to their aunt’s house not far from their house to play with their friends.

Upon entering their aunt’s house, she saw the suspect sleeping on the kitchen table. She explained that the suspect woke up when he heard her calling her brother’s name. Later on, the suspect instructed her little brother to go and play with his friends outside. The victim stated that she asked her brother to stay with her but the suspect repeatedly tried to send him out and make her stay.

Moreover, the victim stated that when her little brother left, the suspect walked toward her while she was in the kitchen and grabbed her wrist attempting to drag her into her aunt’s bedroom. She continued to explain that the suspect’s first attempt failed because she managed to pull her hand back. The suspect then grabbed her wrist and again and she remembered being scared that she screamed out loud. Her brother then heard her and ran back into the house to see what was happening and she was able to run outside of the house.

Victim #2 — a 10-year-old girl —  was also interviewed with her father present and verbally stated that she was walking towards her aunt’s house when the suspect called out to her and asked her where she was going. She told the suspect that she was on her way to her aunt’s house and the suspect called out for her to wait for him to walk with her.

Furthermore, when they got to her aunt’s house, the suspect instructed her to go into the bathroom. She walked into the bathroom and washed her hands. She then noticed the suspect following her into the bathroom and he locked the door behind him. The minor told the officers that the suspect rubbed his hands slightly on her cheeks which made her feel uncomfortable. She stepped back to avoid contact with the suspect but he kissed her on the cheek instead.

Victim # 2 also told investigators that she figured that the suspect was trying to ‘force’ her and she attempted to push him away and tried to exit the bathroom. She said she tried twice but the suspect barricaded the door with his body and that’s when he touched her inappropriately. She reacted by shoving him away from the door and finally being able to exit the bathroom. When she got outside of the bathroom, the victim stated that she told the suspect that she was going to tell her father about what he did to her. 

The victim stated that she was so upset; and, then she went and joined the other kids playing in the yard.

On July 31, 2026, at about 2:32 p.m., the suspect was brought into the TPS being a victim of an assault. The officers made contact with the suspect and Mirandized him. The suspect waived his rights and stated that he wished to make a statement and answer questions.

According to the suspect, he was woken by victim #1 and her little brother when they entered the house. He explained that the little brother then left and he followed victim #1 and tried to take her to their aunt’s bedroom. He admitted that he grabbed the victim and attempted to push her into their aunt’s room but the victim pushed his arm away.

The suspect added that during his third attempt, he leaned forward and tried to wrap his arms around the victim but the victim screamed out loud. The suspect explained that “he was startled and worried that he might get caught by the kids outside so he held back from pursuing the victim when she ran outside of the house.”

Furthermore, the suspect also admitted that he was hanging out by the tree and he saw victim #2 walking towards the aunt’s house. He then called out to her to wait for him. When they arrived at the house, he guided the 10 year-old to the back of the house and told her to go to the bathroom.

He continued that once they entered the bathroom, he used his body to block the door so the victim was not able to exit. He then essentially echoed what victim #2 told police during her interview about he did in the bathroom, including inappropriately touching her.  The suspect stated that the victim was able to shove him aside and escape. 

The suspect also mentioned that victim #2 told him after she got out of the bathroom that she was going to tell her father about what happened.

The suspect was further questioned regarding his intention prior to these incidents and he replied that he intended to take victim #1 into the aunt’s bedroom and perform sexual intercourse on the aunt’s bed. In addition, he also admitted that he intended to lure victim #2 so he could have sexual intercourse with her on the bathroom floor.

During the interview, the investigators noticed the suspect’s demeanor with his slurred speech, rapid jerking of the eyes, sweatiness and overall appearance of being nervous.

The suspect was booked for 48 hours and later transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await his court appearance.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on August 03, 2026.

As with all criminal cases, the allegations outlined in court filings remain accusations at this stage, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision.]