Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 49-year-old man has been denied bail in District Court after being accused of raping both his daughter and niece.

Samoa News will not disclose the defendant's name to protect the victims' identities. He is facing 15 criminal charges, including four counts of sodomy and incest, five charges of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of rape.

Court filings state that the two victims are cousins, both 15 years old. It is alleged that the first victim, who is the biological daughter of the defendant, experienced the first sexual incident in January of this year. 

The victim was reportedly asleep when the defendant touched her inappropriately and later raped her. This alleged abuse occurred twice, and despite her attempts to push him away, she was unsuccessful.

After the second incident, the victim confided in her uncle, who subsequently approached the defendant. Court documents indicate that the defendant cried and apologized for his actions.

Another incident reportedly occurred on April 24, 2025, when the defendant attempted to touch his daughter inappropriately again. 

The victim responded by getting up and moving to where her brother was sleeping. The next day, she informed her aunt about what had happened.

When the police interviewed the daughter, she revealed that a similar incident involving her female cousin had also occurred. 

The second victim, who is the daughter of the defendant's brother, reported experiencing sexual incidents with her uncle. During police interrogation, the defendant admitted to the charges against him.