Stepfather arrested after allegedly sexually abusing his step children

By Samoa News staff reporters@samoanews.com Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On June 16, 2026, a woman walked into the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) accompanied by three minors to file a complaint against a man who allegedly sexually abused his stepsons and daughter. The minors’ ages range from 9 to 13. The defendant was later arrested and charged with: Count 1 & 5, : Deviate Sexual Assault (DV), a class C felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to seven years, or a fine not to exceed $5,000; Count 2, 6, & 10: Sexual Abuse in the First Degree (DV), a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine not more than $5,000; Count 3, 7, & 11: Incest (DV), a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine not more than $5,000; Count 4, 8, & 12: Endangering the Welfare of a Child (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both imprisonment and fine; Count 5: Deviate Sexual Assault (DV), a class C felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to seven years, or a fine not to exceed $5,000; and, Count 9: Rape, a class B felony punishable by a term of imprisonment for up to 15 years, or a fine to exceed 15 years. The defendant is held without bail. (Samoa News has withheld the names of all individuals involved to protect the identities of the minor victims in this case.) According to the court affidavit, the investigation revealed that the suspect is the stepfather of the three minors involved and was living with them since February 2024. Authorities conducted an interview with the minors at the station in the presence of their aunt and uncle. VICTIM #1 INTERVIEW According to victim #1, a 13-year old male, in February 2024, the suspect called him into his room to massage his legs. After a brief massage, the suspect forcefully made him perform sexual acts on him (suspect). The minor stated that he felt he had no choice but to comply because he was terrified. After forcing him, he alleged the suspect then forced himself on him. The suspect then kissed him on the lips and said “Good boy!” While leaving, the suspect warned him that if he told anyone about what happened, he would physically harm him. Victim #1 added that such incidents have been going on since February 2024 when the suspect moved in to reside with their family. He further told the authorities that the suspect sexually assaulted him during night hours when his mother is at work. He said that the most recent incident occurred around March 2026. He also mentioned that he was not the sole victim of such acts as his younger siblings had also been sexually assaulted by the suspect. The 13 year-old victim was unable to recall the exact number of times he had been sexually assaulted. Around April 2026, victim #1 stated that he finally told his mother about what the suspect had done to him. He stated that his mom was upset and in tears, and she then confronted the suspect to find out if it was true. He explained that they got into a heated conversation and the suspect denied the accusation and then threatened him (victim #1) by saying that he would kill him. He also explained that their family met that day to address the situation where his mother’s sister took him into her own care — to stay with her — until he graduated from elementary school this year. He told the officers that his aunt later heard rumors that his younger siblings had also been sexually abused by the defendant. On June 15, 2026, she asked him and his younger siblings about it, and they confirmed the rumors. His aunt was so upset and disappointed and decided to file a report against the defendant at the TPS. VICTIM #2 INTERVIEW Victim #2, a 11-year-old male, was interviewed, and told the officers that sometime around February 2024, the suspect called him into his room to massage his legs. After massaging his legs, the suspect then forced him to perform sexual acts on him (suspect). The 11 year-old victim stated that he was scared, and the suspect threatened to hurt him if he screamed. He felt like he had no choice but to obey. Victim #2 said that similar incidents happened to him around November of 2025, and March and April of 2026. VICTIM #3 INTERVIEW Victim #2, a 9 year-old female, was also interviewed and she told the officers that she cannot recall the exact dates of the incidents involving the suspect. However, she does remember what the suspect did to her. She explained that in the first incident, she was lying alone in her room when the suspect approached her and proceeded to touch her inappropriately from outside of her clothing. The victim said she was scared and the suspect told her not to tell anyone, and she obeyed out of fear. She stated during the second incident, she was with her baby sister when the suspect told her to massage his legs. While she was massaging his legs, the suspect then performed sexual acts on himself. He then tried to force her pants down where she refused and called out to her brothers (victim 1 & 2). Her brothers came and the suspect chased them out of the room and yelled at her for entering while the baby was asleep. The 9-year-old victim stated that the third incident happened when she went into the suspect’s room to get a snack for her brother. The suspect grabbed her and forced her on the bed, covered her mouth with his hand and the proceeded to rape her. Her brother then knocked on the door and called out her name where the suspect shouted at him and told her brother to stop bothering him because he was sleeping. Her brother quickly left. After interviewing the victims, authorities contacted the Child Protective Services (CPS) to report the incidents but efforts to do so were unsuccessful. Investigators released the victims into the care of their aunt, to allow them to stay with her until the investigation was completed. The officers were able to reach the CPS eventually where they followed up with the victims. SUSPECT STATEMENT Police officers later arrived at the suspect’s house in an effort to locate him; and, he was apprehended and taken into custody for further investigation. Upon arrival at the TPS, the suspect was Mirandized. He said he understood his rights and agreed to provide a statement regarding the allegations. The suspect admitted to having sexual intercourse with both male victims but not the female victim. He claimed that he only touched her from outside her clothes inappropriately. He denied all other allegations. The suspect was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court. The defendant is identified as a 57-year-old citizen of Samoa. The affidavit was filed in the District Court on June 18, 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.] Section: Local News Tags: court report
2026-07-06 16:32:22