The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man reportedly blamed the devil for his alleged actions when he was arrested for inappropriately touching a teenage girl on a flight.
58-year-old Kepueli Talaiasi is from Mesa, Arizona.
On the evening of April 26, Talaiasi and his son boarded a flight from Phoenix with the destination of Anchorage, Alaska. Talaiasi had the aisle, and his son sat next to the window, leaving an open seat between the pair.
A 16-year-old traveling with others boarded the aircraft, but she was seated away from her group. The girl sat between Talaiasi and his son.
His son was reportedly napping, and Talaiasi allegedly began to pester the young woman.
Talaiasi allegedly used his elbow to rub up against the teenager and then began to touch her with his hand.
The girl reportedly became visibly upset and pushed Talaiasi’s hand away. It was also reported that she began to cry.
The teenager typed a note on her cell phone asking her friend to pass it to her father, who was seated nearby. The note alerted her dad that someone was sexually touching her, and she asked if he would change seats with her.
After handing the phone to her friend, the friend complied and immediately passed the phone to the girl’s dad.
When the alleged victim’s dad read the message, he notified the flight attendants about the situation. They moved the girl away from Talaiasi for the remainder of the flight.
When the plane landed in Anchorage, the airport police detained Talaiasi until the FBI placed him under arrest.
Talaiasi was booked into the Anchorage Correctional Complex. He is facing charges for suspicion of abusive sexual conduct.
It was reported that the man, who has a daughter of his own, “acknowledged having bad thoughts upon seeing the minor next to him, and described the devil tempting him.” He also allegedly said he felt remorse when he saw the teenager crying.
If he is convicted of the charge, Talaiasi could spend up to two years in prison with an additional five years to life of supervised release.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a sexual offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.