A defendant charged with molesting a girl who was attending rehearsals for White Sunday last year in Poloa has been sentenced to five years in jail.
Under a plea agreement charges of child molestation, sodomy and deviant sexual intercourse were dismissed and Faalavelave Ati pled guilty to sodomy.
Today the 56-year-old man apologized to the victim and her family for what he did. He said it was because he was so drunk.
On the day of his plea agreement Ati said he had succumbed to the work of the devil.
The sentencing panel, Associate Justice Lyle Richmond, Chief Associate Judge Mamea Sala Jr and Judge Tunupopo Alalafaga handed down a 15-year sentenced which was suspended in lieu of a five year jail term for the defendant without any release.
Falavelave will be placed on probation for 15 years and the court ordered that right after he completes his jail term, he will be taken straight to his point of departure and remain out of the territory for the balance of his 15-year probation.
He will be subject to testing for HIV/AIDS and his name will go on the Sex Offender Registry.
