SUPERIOR Court Judge Lillian A. Tenorio found probable cause to charge Kyle Cepeda, 34, with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, and disturbing the peace.
In an earlier order, Judge Tenorio granted Cepeda’s request to be released to a third-party custodian, his brother, after posting 5% of the $30,000 cash bail.
Cepeda is scheduled to appear for arraignment before Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja, today, April 28, at 9 a.m.
Assistant Public Defender Molly Dennert represents Cepeda while Assistant Attorney General Frances Demapan appeared for the government.
According to the complaint against Cepeda, the victim, who is now 12 years old, told a forensic interviewer in the presence of a prosecutor that she had been inappropriately touched by the defendant since she was 5 years old.
The victim said she tried to tell her grandma about it, but she did not believe her and would always side with Cepeda.
She said Cepeda would inappropriately touch her when her legal guardian was not looking.
She said she felt weird, uncomfortable and scared of what had happened to her. She said it would always happen when Cepeda was drunk and no one else was home.
She said Cepeda would tell her that he loved her more than her legal guardian and that he did not want her to leave him.
She said she remembers Cepeda touching her when she was 5, 10, and 11 years old, and it would always happen the same way. The victim said it stopped when she moved to Texas with her mother.
The victim was interviewed via video call in the presence of a prosecutor on March 27, 2025.
