In yesterday’s bail hearing, Associate Judge Perry B. Inos also subjected the defendant, Bugak Alaphanso Isope to several conditions if he will post bail.
The defendant must return to court whenever required to do so.
He will also stay away from seaports and airports, and surrender his travel documents to the clerk of court on Rota.
He will be delivered to the airport immediately to be transported to Rota, and not leave the island without court permission.
He will have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, and stay away from the house of the victim.
Inos set the preliminary hearing for March 25, and the arraignment for March 30, 2009.
The defendant was represented by Assistant Public Defender Matthew Holley while Assistant Attorney General William Downer appeared on behalf of the government.
The Attorney General’s Office filed the information against the defendant based on the affidavit submitted by Detective Francis B. Manglona.
The affidavit stated that the Department of Public Safety received a complaint of a possible sexual assault incident that took place at a residence in Sinapalo 2 Village on Rota at about 4:30 a.m. on March 17, 2009.
The responding police officer learned from the victim, a minor, that she was sleeping when she felt somebody touching her legs.
The girl told the police that she shook her legs off and went back to sleep but when she felt something touching her legs again, she opened her eyes and saw the defendant next to her bed.
The girl said she didn’t recognize who the person was because he turned fast and ran out of the bedroom.
The girl got up and yelled for help, which awakened her parents.
The girl’s father identified the suspect from her description.
The suspect was always at their house everyday and was treated as a member of the family.
Upon investigation, the suspect admitted that he went to the victim’s house to ask for water after crab hunting, but when he saw the door to the kids’ bedroom was open, he went to where the victim was sleeping.
The suspect told police that he caressed the victim’s legs for two or three times when the victim woke up and screamed.
The defendant added that he was planning to sexually assault the girl if she did not wake up.
The defendant was later booked and confined pending transport to appear before a judge.
The AGO originally recommended a $30,000 bail for the defendant’s temporary liberty but the court reduced it by half.
The court found that probable cause exists to charge the defendant for one count of attempted sexual assault in the first degree and one count for attempted sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree.
