Rudolph Salesa was yesterday sentenced to 7 years in jail for having sex with a 14-year old girl.
Police reports say that Salesa was a friend of the victim’s family and had persistently pursued her.
This eventually resulted in the girl submitting to his advances and the two had sexual encounters not once but a few times.
An aunt of the defendant, the oldest of 8 kids, described him as one of the most disciplined young men she’s known and he was like a son to her.
With tears, she expressed the hope that the judges would be lenient with their sentencing.
Salesa apologized to the Chief Justice and those affected by what he did.
He said,“all that time I have spent in the Tafuna Correctional Facility made me think about my actions. The visits from pastors have given him hope for the future and I believe that I can be better.”
Chief Justice Michael Kruse said the defendant had abused his friendship with the victim’s family, and the young girl’s curiosity had furnished his sexual desires.
The defendant in his early 20’s, is now serving a seven year jail sentence.
