Probable cause found to try two accused of raping minor

The Superior Court has found probable cause to try two men accused of raping a minor at a beach in Susupe.

Last week, Superior Court Judge Wesley Bogdan found probable cause to try Tim Onopey and Frankie Rettanlug for the charges of sexual assault in the first degree for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl last May 29, at the beach near Guma Sakman.

At the hearing, Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds of the Office of the Attorney General Criminal Division appeared for the government. Attorney Robert T. Torres and assistant public defender Vina Seelam were appointed to represent Onopey and Rettanlug, respectively.

Both defendants remain in Department of Corrections custody after failing to post the $50,000 cash bail.

Both men have since pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

According to court documents, Onopey gave the minor a beer before repeatedly asking her to swim with him. The victim said she accepted the beer and eventually agreed to go swimming. She told police that she and Onopey swam to the buoy and that’s when Onopey allegedly sexually assaulted her.

The 17-year-old told police she tried to move away from Onopey but every time she did so, he would pull her back. The victim said she repeatedly asked Onopey to stop, to no avail.

After the alleged sexual assault, the victim said they swam to shore but she was afraid to get help because Onopey was still in the area.

While on the shore, the minor said she was feeling dizzy and felt like she was going to faint, so she lied down to rest and eventually fell asleep.

When she woke up, she said Rettanlug approached her and asked what happened to her and Onopey and then invited her to go closer to the shoreline.

When she refused, the victim said Rettanlug dragged her to the beach where Rettanlug sexually assaulted her. The victim said she managed to get away from him but he grabbed her legs and dragged her back so she kicked water in his face, which caused him to stop.

When she got away, she said she went to where there were people she could talk to about the incident.

In a separate statement to police, Rettanlug allegedly admitted to sexually assaulting the minor and that he knew she was 17 years old because he overheard Onopey asking her how old she was.