SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan will sentence Kenneth Thomas Blas Kaipat on Sept. 14 at 10 a.m.
A jury on Friday found Kaipat, 19, guilty of three counts of sexual assault in the first degree, two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and burglary.
Following the verdict, the lead prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Steven Kessell, made an oral motion to place Kaipat in the custody of the Department of Corrections at the conclusion of the court proceedings.
But defense attorney Brien Sers Nicholas opposed the motion, and moved to maintain the pretrial release conditions as previously ordered.
Judge Bogdan, ruling from the bench, denied the government motion, but placed the defendant under house arrest pending a pre-sentence investigation report and the defendant’s sentencing.
The Office of the Attorney General later filed a written motion for reconsideration of the court’s oral ruling regarding Kaipat’s post-conviction release.
In a judgment order issued on Aug. 14, Judge Bogdan, for good cause shown, revoked Kaipat’s pretrial release, including release for work purposes.
“Defendant shall be placed under strict house arrest under the supervision of his parents and shall not leave his house for any purpose (except in situations of medical emergency or for his court hearing dates). CNMI Department of Public Safety officers are hereby authorized to conduct random checks at his place of residence to ensure compliance with this condition,” the judge said.
Following the court order, the AG’s office withdrew its motion for consideration.
But the judge still set an oral argument hearing for the motion for reconsideration for Aug. 17, at 10 a.m.
The judge also ordered the Office of Adult Probation to submit a pre-sentence investigation report by Sept. 4.
“Thereafter each party shall submit briefs concerning the pre-sentence investigation report on or before Sept. 11,” the judge added.
Kaipat’s trial began on Aug. 7 and concluded on Aug. 11 with Judge Bogdan presiding.
AAG Heather Barcinas was Kessel’s co-counsel.
The case against Kaipat stemmed from an incident that occurred in a San Vicente home four years ago.
On June 2, 2019, the Department of Public Safety said it responded to a “home invasion incident” and a “disturbance” in San Vicente where a 24-year-old woman was raped and seriously hurt. Kaipat, for his part, claimed he was assaulted in a separate incident.
In June 2020, the defendant was arrested and taken into juvenile custody after DPS received a DNA laboratory test report from the FBI.
He was released on April 15, 2021 after five bail hearings based on special consideration given to juveniles.
