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Four men accused of sexual relations with 14 year old girl

The Attorney General’s office has charged four men, accusing them of having sexual intercourse with a 14 year old girl who is still in elementary school.

Tavita Mariota, Anthony Sioka, Lewis Lokeni and Peni Levi are all charged with rape, sexual abuse first degree and endangering the welfare of a child.

The rape count is a class B felony punishable by imprisonment for five to fifteen years, sexual abuse is a class D felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of $5,000 or both and endangering the welfare of a child is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000 or both.

Each defendant is held on bail of $10,000 and all made their initial appearance in District Court on Monday, before Judge John Ward. They are all represented by Assistant Public Defender Karen Shelley.

TAVITA MARIOTA

According to the government’s case, on May 1, 2012  the incident came to light when a truancy officer at Lupelele Elementary School contacted the police about a possible sexually related case after observing “love bite marks” on a 14-year old  girl’s neck.

Police interviewed the girl who stated she had engaged in sexual intercourse with 27-year-old Mariota. It’s alleged the girl (whose name is being withheld, and will be referred to as Jane Doe) met with the defendant on March 2012, outside of Mose Store in Tafuna, and on that day, she went with Mariota to his house nearby.

Court filings state that Mariota undressed Jane Doe, started kissing her and engaged in sexual intercourse. The government claims Mariota had sex with the girl on several occasions.

Police spoke to Mariota who admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse only once with Jane Doe at his home in Fagaima around Flag Day 2012. He further told police that she slept at his house three times.

LEWIS LOKENI

According to the government’s case Lokeni, 25, is alleged to have engaged in sexual intercourse with the same 14-year-old girl. Court filings state that Lokeni had sex with the girl on April 28, 2012 at his house in the village of Fagaima, and left “love bite marks” on the girl’s neck.

Jane Doe told police she started dating Lokeni on January 16, 2012. Court filings state on this day, Lokeni gave his telephone number to her for contact. Jane Doe told police the first time she and Lokeni engaged in sexual intercourse it was behind Mose’s store in Fagaima, and the second time in a deserted building, also in Fagaima.

Jane Doe further told police that she also had sex with Lokeni on April 17, 2012. Court filings state that Jane Doe’s father told police that Jane Doe swallowed Clorox bleach on April 30, 2012, in an attempt to hurt herself.

Jane Doe explained to police that she attempted to kill herself after a teacher discovered the love bite marks on her neck on April 30, 2012 and questioned her about them. Police met with Lokeni at his home to investigate the allegations by Jane Doe. Lokeni told police that Jane Doe ‘came onto him’, and that he did have sexual intercourse with Jane Doe behind Mose’s store in Fagaima around April 20, 2012.

PENI LEVI

The government alleges that Jane Doe told police that the first person she had sexual intercourse with was 21-year-old Levi. Jane Doe told police that she had sex with Levi when she was 13-years-old for the first time on August 12, 2011.

Jane Doe explained she was approached by Levi who wanted to date her, on the same day she and Levi had sex. Afterwards she returned to her mother’s residence in another village. Jane Doe told police she returned to her father’s home in Tafuna in October 2011 where she had sex with Levi twice.

Levi was interviewed by police on May 2, 2012, where he denied being the first one to have sex with Jane Doe.  Levi told police that Jane Doe told him she had sexual intercourse with another man before him.

Levi admitted he had sexual intercourse with Jane Doe, but only once, during the month of October 2011 in a deserted building in Tafuna.

SIOKA ANTHONY

Jane Doe told police she also engaged in sexual intercourse with 20-year-old Sioka, and that she met Sioka at a volleyball game in Fagaima in October 2011. She told police on that day, she and Sioka went to an abandoned house where they had sex.

She further told police that they had sex at least four times during the month of October 2011. Sioka during an interview with police admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with Jane Doe and he said the sex was consensual.

Sioka told police that when he met Jane Doe, he could not believe how young she looked, but that he thought he might have a chance with her. He admitted to having sex with Jane Doe three or four times between August and October 2011.