|
Friday, February 04, 2005
'Internet rapist' gets 20-40 years
By Rose O. Versoza
CEBU CITY -- A computer programmer was convicted and sentenced to suffer 20 to 40 years for raping a 20-year-old college student inside his house in Pitogo, Consolacion, Cebu last June 8, 2000.
He met her in an Internet chat room and lured her to his home after a month of chatting and exchanging text messages.
Dexter Lao impregnated his victim and, at the time that she testified in court, their child was already one year and seven months old.
In his defense, Lao claimed he and the girl were sweethearts, but the court doubted this.
"A sweetheart defense, to be credible, should be substantiated by some documentary or other evidence of the relationship-mementos, love letters, notes, pictures and the like," said Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap, quoting jurisprudence in People vs. De Vera.
In her decision, Regional Trial Court Branch 28 Judge Yap said: "Over again, a lesson has to be learned. Be wary of the true motives of some men chatting on the Internet. A computer will do what a man will tell it to do, but that may be much different from what he has in mind."
She ordered Lao to pay the complainant P100,000 in damages and to provide support for her child, apart from serving time in jail.
Chat, text
Lao is also facing another criminal case, which is still pending in court, for allegedly abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl inside his car at the Mandaue reclamation area last Jan. 1, 2001.
In the case that led to his conviction, May (not her real name), who hails from West-Ulbujan, Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol, testified that she got to know Lao in an Internet chatroom sometime in May 2000.
The two became "chat-mates" and textmates."
May was at the Ayala Center Cebu on June 8, 2000 to have her ID taken when Lao, who was also in the mall, told her he wanted to meet her.
The two met that day for the first time. Lao invited her to use his personal computer, which had an Internet connection, at home.
Because she was a "computer fanatic," May accepted the invitation. They arrived in Lao's house in Pitogo, Consolacion about 8:30 p.m.
She was already using Lao's computer for about 30 minutes when he suddenly lifted her from her seat and brought her to his room.
She resisted but Lao punched her on the chest. He raped her. Mae escaped and rode a taxi home to Cebu City.
'Sweethearts'
She never saw Lao again until her brother learned from a Sun.Star Cebu news report carried on its website that Lao was arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old student.
Mae then went to the National Bureau of Investigation where she confirmed that it was the same Lao who raped her and got her pregnant.
Lao, who was an IT manager, denied forcing himself on her. He said May was already his girlfriend at that time after he courted her through text messages. That was even before they met, he said.
He said May did not resist his sexual advances and instead, she even kissed him back. Lao said May sued him for rape only after he refused to give her money.
He claimed May had been asking him for money to buy medicine. He did not give her any because he did not believe she was pregnant.
At the time the case was filed, the victim was already pregnant.
Judge Yap found the victim's testimony more credible than Lao's. She saw no ill motive on the part of the girl to make up such accusations.
(February 4, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
