Ex-Tinian cop gets 25 years in prison for raping minor

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho yesterday slapped a 25-year prison term against former Tinian police officer Melvin Ilo Monkeya, who was convicted of sexually abusing a then-14-year-old girl inside the Tinian police station in 2008.

“The pain and hurt of what Melvin Monkeya did is real, the responsibility for what Melvin Monkeya did rests completely on Melvin Monkeya. No one else is to blame,” said Camacho at the sentencing held at the Tinian Courthouse.

For sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, Camacho imposed the full maximum sentence of 30 years, with the first 25 years to be served day to day, without the possibility of parole early release, work or weekend release.

Camacho suspended five years to allow the Office of Adult Probation to monitor the 43-year-old Monkeya as a sex offender. The defendant was given credit for time served. He was ordered to register as a sex offender.

After completing the prison term, Monkeya will be placed on 10 years of probation.

Camacho said when the defendant is released at the age of 68, the Office of Adult Probation will be able to monitor him into his late 70’s.

The judge said imposing 1,000 hours of community service is appropriate because there is a suspended sentence and the Office of Adult Probation can monitor him as he completes his community service.

Camacho said no parole is appropriate because Monkeya was a police officer at the time he committed the crime.

He said for the defendant to be made eligible for parole would not serve the interest of justice.

“Defendant was a sworn police officer and had an affirmative duty to uphold the law—defendant Melvin Monkeya should have been on his good behavior the moment he chose a life in law enforcement,” Camacho said.

Camacho did not impose a fine because Monkeya has been in jail since his arrest and is unemployed.

Camacho said Monkeya fits a particular type of pedophile—the perpetrator profile of a hebephile which is a person who is primarily attracted to an adolescent; children who have at least started puberty and have signs of adult sexual maturation, but are still young and developing both mentally and physically.

The judge said sometimes a hebephile will use an adult relationship as a cover.

Camacho said based on the victim’s, witnesses’ and even Monkeya’s now-girlfriend’s letters in the presentence investigation report, Monkeya appears to prefer sexual relations with minor girls.

“This deep rooted sexual deviance is a particular concern for the court,” he said.

Chief Prosecutor Brian Flaherty recommended a sentence of 30 years with no fine.

Flaherty argued that defendant was in law enforcement, there were multiple victims even though he was only charged with one count/incident.

Attorney Jennifer Dockter, counsel for Monkeya, recommended a sentence of 10 years with no fine.

Dockter argued that defendant was a loving father who cared for his children, a good son to his mother, and that the Legislature’s intent is that a person should be sentenced to less than 15 years if he or she has no prior felony conviction.

At the sentencing, Camacho said Monkeya lived two lives.

He said Monkeya’s public life showed that he was loving and caring to his family and friends as well as a respected police officer.

The judge said Monkeya’s second life was a dark secret—he was a child molester.

Camacho said Monkeya used his public life to gain access and trust of the victim in this case, as well as the other minor females he victimized.

Camacho said as a police officer, Monkeya chose his victim carefully, took her to the police station, and used police interrogation techniques to break down the victim’s defenses.

The judge said Monkeya coerced the victim into “re-enacting” his sexual fantasy by doing the sexual acts of other rape and molestation victims in police files.

Camacho said he finds that this type of behavior goes to a deeply rooted sexual deviant behavior, that is, getting “turned on” by reading about how women and children are raped and molested and then re-enacting that deviant fantasy.

Camacho said by reading the victim statement, Monkeya’s crime has ongoing damage.

He said the other statements coming from witnesses who testified against Monkeya show how they continue to suffer mental anguish, social and relationship problems, and sense of shame and humiliation.

Camacho said that none of the victim, witnesses, son, and other family members have anything to be ashamed.

“This crime is 100 percent on the shoulder of Melvin Monkeya,” he pointed out.

In December 2013, the jurors reached a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for just two hours.