Man accused of raping minor faces further charges

A man in custody accused of raping minors under the age of 14 has been charged with additional sexual assault and inducing an immoral person.

The name of the accused and further details are not disclosed because the victims are minors under the age of 14.

The man was initially charged with two counts of indecent touching and two counts of rape against four victims.

On Friday, he appeared before Chief Justice Patrick Keane, where additional charges were added to him, including 20 counts of sexual assault and 18 counts of inciting a sexual act.

Jamie Crawford, senior prosecutor at Crown Law, said the defendant was accused of serious offences against young plaintiffs.

Crawford said the police had just given them the file. It was a large file and the summary of the facts could be ready by the next phone call.

Through a translator, the defendant, who remains in custody, was advised to seek legal aid or a lawyer.

CJ Keane adjourned the matter for rehearing until June 28.

A month ago, the accused appeared before a magistrate’s court, where police refused to grant him bail on the grounds that he was a danger to society.

Police prosecutor and Sergeant Fairoa Tararo then requested that the man be taken into custody to protect the young girls. The court concluded that the accused posed a great danger to society because the crime was committed in a residential area where he lives.

Sergeant Tararo also said that the accused’s confession had been taken into account. He said that the accused had a lawyer present during the interrogation.

Justice of the Peace John Whitta had granted the request for pretrial detention and name suppression because all of the charges involved minors who lived in close proximity to the defendants.

In another case heard on Friday, a man denied three charges of indecent assault in the Supreme Court.

The defendant, who is represented by his defence lawyer Mark Short and whose name is temporarily no longer protected, is alleged to have indecently assaulted a woman in November last year by touching and kissing her genitals.

Jamie Crawford, senior counsel at Crown Law, said she received the file from police on Thursday and needed time to go through the file and submit a charge sheet and trial transcript.

Crawford said that given the nature of the crime, the trial must be given priority, adding that a hearing for the defendant would take two to three days.

The matter was adjourned for further hearing until 28 June.