LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a man arrested Jan. 5 on multiple counts of sexual assault, kidnapping and extortion has pleaded not guilty. Leonard Alpeche Jr. appeared Tuesday in 5th Circuit Court for his arraignment before Judge Kathleen Watanabe. Wearing orange garments
LIHU‘E — A Kapa‘a man arrested Jan. 5 on multiple counts of sexual assault, kidnapping and extortion has pleaded not guilty.
Leonard Alpeche Jr. appeared Tuesday in 5th Circuit Court for his arraignment before Judge Kathleen Watanabe.
Wearing orange garments from Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center, the short, boyish-looking 27-year-old suspect pleaded not guilty to 16 charges stemming from the alleged sexual assault of a 24-year-old Kapa‘a woman. His trial date was set for mid-April.
The alleged victim in the crime said in a phone interview this week that she was shaken up, but decided to come forward because she didn’t want Alpeche to keep deceiving other women.
“I’m doing this for the parents,” she said. “They should pay attention to what their kids are doing not only on Facebook, but also on their cell phones.”
The woman said that in August Alpeche allegedly used a fake identity to befriend her on Facebook, pretending to be her friend’s sister. Alpeche, posing as a woman, allegedly lured the Kapa‘a woman to send him modeling pictures by saying he would help her to get a job.
The woman said she complied, and two months later she was contacted again by the suspect, still posing as woman. He allegedly told her to go to a park, where a photographer would take pictures of her. If she didn’t follow through, Alpeche allegedly threatened to spread her modeling pictures all over the Internet.
The woman said she met with the photographer, who she said was Alpeche. She said he threatened her, took more pictures of her and forced her to have sex with him.
She said she was scared of Alpeche, who allegedly threatened to reach the woman’s family and work, and even said he belonged to the Mafia. Despite her fears, the woman said she decided to file a police report.
An acquaintance of the woman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said since the woman contacted the police, many other women came forward.
The woman said that after she contacted the police, investigators started monitoring Alpeche’s activities, until he was arrested earlier this month.
A county press release published two days after the arrest said Alpeche had been allegedly using the Internet for developing relationships with females using aliases. The alleged victim said the suspect used at least three fake identities online.
The press release states that all known victims are Kaua‘i residents, ranging from 13 to 27 years old.
Indictment
A grand jury on Jan. 19 indicted Alpeche on three counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of fourth -degree sexual assault, one count of kidnapping and 11 counts of second-degree extortion.
The indictment states that on Oct. 25 Alpeche knowingly subjected the woman to sexual acts by compulsion. The indictment also states that he restrained the woman with intent to subject her to a sexual offense, thus kidnapping her.
The indictment states that on Oct. 24 Alpeche committed 11 counts of extortion, by intentionally compelling or inducing the woman to engage in conduct from which she has a legal right to abstain, after threatening to expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject the woman to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or the impair her credit or business reputation.
Alpeche is being held in lieu of $465,000 bail. Watanabe ordered a revised bail study after a request from attorney John Calma.
Watanabe set Alpeche’s pre-trial for 3 p.m., March 30, and the trial for 9 a.m., April 11.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
