Man accused of sexual abuse of a minor girl, mother also arrested

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 76-year-old man from Puapua is being charged with the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old minor; while the mother of the minor was also arrested for allegedly not reporting the abuse to police after being told of it by the minor’s school principal.

It is reported that on May 5th, 2023, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call from the vice principal of a government elementary school, requesting their assistance for one of their 10-year-old students, who was allegedly sexually abused at her home in Puapua.

Samoa News has chosen not to name the defendant or family due to the alleged offenses happening at the victim’s home and the age of the victim.

The defendant is being charged with 9 counts that include sexual abuse in the first degree, of which there are 3, one count of felonious restraint, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of false imprisonment.

THE CASE

Court documents report that on May 5, 2023 at 12:39pm, the Department of Public Safety in Tafuna received a call from the vice principal of a local elementary school requesting assistance for a student who was experiencing sexual abuse at her home.

Officers stated that upon arrival at the elementary school at 12:50pm, they met with the vice principal and were immediately directed to one of the teachers and a ten-year-old female minor. The teacher briefed the officers about said matter and later the victim was transported to the TPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the TPS, the victim’s mother was contacted to meet with the officers at the substation regarding said incident, and when she arrived, she was informed about it and was also notified that Social Services had also been contacted.

At about 01:15pm, the officers on the case, interviewed the student’s school principal and the victim’s teacher at the TPS.

According to the court affidavit, the victim’s teacher stated that on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at around 8am, the victim approached her and she asked the victim if there was something wrong.

The victim then explained to her (the teacher) that in the morning before she came to school, her uncle’s friend had touched her inappropriately. The teacher said she was really concerned about the victim’s safety so she took the matter to her principal.

The principal then contacted the victim’s mother the same day to explain to her what was happening to her daughter at home, and told her what would happen if the victim continued to reach out for help.

And on May 5, 2023, the victim again approached the teacher after the first bell rang in the morning to tell her that her uncle’s friend touched her again and said sexual things to her.

The victim also stated that he has also followed her into the shower and again touched her inappropriately, and told further her he would be waiting for her after school.

The teacher reached out again to the Principal, to which she in turn called Social Services and police for the victim’s safety.

At 1:52pm, officers interviewed the victim in the presence of her mother.

According to the victim, at around 3pm on May 2, 2023, when she got home from school, she went straight to sleep in the living room, while her uncle and an older man, the alleged offender, were outside.

The victim stated while she was sleeping, she felt someone touching her. She then woke up and saw the ‘older man’ sitting beside her while her pants were unbuttoned and unzipped. The defendant then continued to touch her inappropriately, and when he stopped told her not to tell anyone about what had happened.

The victim told officers that two other incidents occurred in which he continuously assaulted her.

After the officers interviewed the victim, Social Services workers then stepped in and conducted their assessment of the victim.

The officers then continued with their investigation, where the mother was informed that she will be questioned as to why she did not report the incident, after being informed by the victim’s school principal about the serious matter.

The mother was then Mirandized and she waived her rights and made a statement.

The mother stated that she was informed by the school principal on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 5pm that there was  a sexual incident in which her daughter was involved.

She said she thanked the school principal for informing her and that she would handle the matter right away when she got off from work.

On the same day at 6pm, she got home and spoke with her daughter, the victim, about the incident she had reported to her teacher. The victim explained everything the suspect had done to her, after which she got upset and concerned over her daughter’s safety. She then approached her uncle, who owns the house that she and her daughter are living in, and told him about the incident.

However, she was told by her uncle that “they would discuss the matter after dealing with a funeral.”

So she went with what her uncle told her and never bothered to report it to anyone else. The officer then asked if she saw any changes in her daughter’s behavior or the suspect at home when she (the mother) was around, and she stated that the victim acted normal as usual.

After the Social Services conducted their assessment of the victim, they decided that the victim would be placed in a shelter and the mother was informed.

The mother was then booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) for 48 hours awaiting an Arrest Warrant.

On the same day, around 2:40pm, officers proceeded to Puapua to locate the suspect, and upon arrival at the uncle’s residence in Puapua, they observed an old man sitting in front of the house and they asked him if they could speak with a male individual, giving the friend’s name, and the old man identified himself as the individual in question.

Officers then told him about the incident, and he was apprehended and transported to the TPS, where he provided a verbal statement, but did not wish to render a written statement because of the ‘state’ of his writing due to his old age.

During the suspect’s interview, he kept changing his statement and he was shaking and wouldn’t keep eye contact with the officers. He kept looking down and smiling and acted like it was a laughing matter when questions were asked, according to the court affidavit.

The suspect was then booked and confined at the TCF for 48 hours awaiting an arrest warrant.