The alleged sexual assault occurred a year ago in a San Vicente home on June 2, 2019.
Asked about the status of the case, Chief Prosecutor John Bradley said: “A request for transfer to adult court was filed today. But records are not public.”
Bradley cited the CNMI statute on juvenile court records, which state that “juvenile courtroom proceedings and records shall not be open to the public and shall remain confidential except upon order of the court.”
He said Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja will appoint a mental health professional, e.g., a psychiatrist, to conduct a social study of the juvenile, and to assist the court in deciding whether the accused should be treated as an adult for the purpose of criminal prosecution.
“Such a study typically looks at numerous factors, including seriousness of the crime, maturity, family stability, mental health, schooling, available juvenile services,” Bradley said.
“If the accused is transferred to adult court, the proceedings become public,” he added.
Bradley said the case then proceeds under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the accused is “subject to the full range of punishment as set out on the penal code for the charged offenses.”
He said the next hearing date has been set for July 6.
Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Friday found probable cause to charge the juvenile suspect.
The AG’s office charged the juvenile with sexual assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and burglary.
According to the AG’s office, the delay in the arrest of the juvenile suspect was due to the DNA process testing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at its lab in Quantico.
