HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A former member of the governor’s Cabinet facing sexual assault charges will go to trial next year.
On Tuesday morning, Adrian Peter Cruz appeared in the Superior Court of Guam before Judge Vernon Perez. The hearing was Cruz’s first since pleading not guilty to charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and promoting prostitution as third-degree felonies and harassment as a petty misdemeanor.
The trial is scheduled to begin March 24, 2024, according to Cruz’s attorney. According to Post files, Cruz waived his right to a speedy trial.
With the trial schedule set, Cruz’s attorney, William Brennan, stated he intended to follow the schedule and comply with deadlines.
Assistant Attorney General Christine Tenorio is the assigned prosecutor in the case.
Perez scheduled the next hearing for Cruz’s case for Nov. 7. Perez reminded Cruz, who is on release, that if he commits a felony while on release, Cruz could face five to 25 years in prison.
Allegations
Cruz’s charges stem from a complaint filed June 9 that alleged Cruz committed criminal sexual conduct and harassment on May 26 and promoted prostitution on May 31.
The indictment, which doesn’t provide much detail about Cruz’s alleged actions, states he committed criminal sexual conduct by intentionally engaging in sexual contact with a 17-year-old boy by touching his inner thigh and using force or coercion, and committed harassment by threatening to strike, kick, shove or offensively touch the victim.
As for promoting prostitution, the charging document states Cruz “knowingly solicited a person to commit or engage in prostitution.”
At the time of Cruz’s arrest on June 10, he was employed with the government of Guam and had been serving as executive director of the Hagåtña Restoration and Redevelopment Authority. Adelup spokesperson Krystal Paco-San Agustin told The Guam Daily Post that the administration received a resignation letter from Cruz dated June 6, though Adelup didn’t receive the letter until June 10.
Prior to Cruz’s most recent role at Adelup, he had served in other roles in the administration, including as a senior policy adviser at Adelup, deputy director of the Guam Department of Agriculture, chair of the Estoriå-ta Commission and chair of the Free Association Task Force under the Commission on Decolonization.
Adrian Cruz waits outside a courtroom in the Superior Court of Guam in Hagåtña on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
