Salinas man pleads no contest to forcible molestation of his family member

A Salinas man plead no contest to felony charges of forcible child molestation.

According to the Monterey County District Attorney, Jeshuah ekolu Atuai-Levao molested his family member in 2018.

The D.A. said in August 2018, the teen told law enforcement he had been having sexual intercourse with her against her will. Atuai-Levao started molesting the girl when she was seven while they lived in Oregon and it continued until she told her family in July 2018.

According to the D.A., because the girl and Atuai-Levao didn’t move to California until she was 13, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office did not have jurisdiction to prosecute Atuai-Levao for most of the molestation.

While the investigation was pending, Atuai-Levao emailed the girl and admitted fault for what happened to her.

The D.A.’s Office said a SART examination uncovered evidence consistent with the victim’s allegations of long-term sex abuse.

Atuai-Levao will be sentenced on October 11, 2019. He will receive a stipulated sentence of 30 years in prison and he will also be required to register as a sex offender.