Father of 1 of alleged 3 victims takes witness stand

The father of one of the three minor girls, who were allegedly persuaded or enticed by former acting CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife director Raymond B. Roberto to have sex with him for a fee, took the witness stand yesterday.

The father testified that Roberto was dating his sister so his minor daughter called the defendant “Uncle Ray.”

The 40-year-old Roberto is on trial on one count of witness tampering and three counts of enticing three underage girls to engage in prostitution.

When Saipan Tribune left the courtroom late yesterday afternoon, Guam attorney David J. Lujan, one of two counsels for Roberto, was still cross-examining the owner of Parville Motel in Gualo Rai. Lujan is expected to resume his cross-examination on the owner today, Thursday.

Lujan and co-counsel Joaquin Torres elected not to hold their opening statements.

In the U.S. government’s opening statements, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy said the case is all about the 40-year-old Roberto who persuaded and enticed three 15-year-old girls to have sex with him for a fee.

Badawy said when the scheme was discovered, Roberto contacted a woman to obstruct the criminal case.

After the opening statements, Badawy and co-counsel U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and NMI Alicia A.G. Limtiaco called their first witness—the father of one of the alleged victims.

The father testified that his then 15-year-old daughter ran away from his residence either on April 10 or 11, 2013.

He said he looked for his daughter by asking her mother, who at the time had custody of her. He said he also checked his other relatives to inquire her whereabouts.

During cross-examination by Lujan, the father agreed that he did not call the police after 24 hours when his daughter ran away. He explained that he did not call the police because she was under the custody of his former common-law wife and that he was also not sure whether she’s only hiding in the closet.

He said when he later talked to his daughter on the phone, he asked her about having sex with Roberto, but she did not want to talk about it because she was ashamed.

Asked by Lujan why during his interview with two FBI special agents last March 6, he (father) told them that his daughter ran away in March 2013, and not April 10 or 11, 2013, the father said he is certain that it was either April 10 or 11, 2013 when she ran away because at that time his girlfriend delivered a baby in the hospital.

The father said it’s either he made the incorrect date of March 2013 or the FBI committed the mistake.

He said he saw his daughter at the airport when she was going to Guam on the late part of 2013 or early 2014.

Before leaving for the airport, he also talked to her about 3 to 4 minutes in the hospital when he handed her clothes and other things that they bought for her.

He said Division of Youth Services people brought his daughter to the hospital to meet him.

Manglona did not allow the father to answer Lujan’s questions whether he spent time in jail before and if he has ever been accused of molesting a minor girl.

After the father, the prosecution called IT&E Information Technology Building manager Jorge Soledad to the witness stand.

Soledad testified about how, pursuant to the federal agents’ subpoena, he produced the text messages from the cellular phones belonging to Roberto and the alleged victims.

The manager agreed with Lujan that the messages that he compiled were not in chronological order.

Soledad, however, also agreed with Badawy that the text messages and dates and time were accurate.

FBI Honululu computer program examiner Cindy Maglasang also testified that she conducted forensic examination on a cellphone and charger that the FBI Saipan requested for examination. The prosecution alleged that the cellphone and charger belong to one of the alleged victims.

After the Maglasang, the owner of Parkville Motel took the witness stand.

The prosecution alleged that Roberto brought the alleged victims to Parkville Motel several times.

The owner testified that he does not know Roberto or any of their customers. He will continue his testimony today.

The indictment alleged that Roberto persuaded three underage girls to have sex with him from March 1, 2013, to July 18, 2013.

In the witness tampering case, it was alleged that while Roberto was detained pending trial, he attempted to influence the testimony of an individual on April 24, 2014.