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Home / New Zealand

Man admits underage sex with girl

By Cherie Taylor
Rotorua Daily Post·
14 Apr, 2010 12:50 AM3 mins to read

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The man's wife had earlier admitted sending the girl threatening text messages. File photo / Christchurch Star

The man's wife had earlier admitted sending the girl threatening text messages. File photo / Christchurch Star

A 27-year-old man has admitted having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl who died two days after he ended the relationship and his wife sent the girl threatening text messages.

No-one is being sought over the girl's death and the matter has been referred to the Coroner.

Rotorua man Pelesasa Tiumalu pleaded guilty yesterday to a representative charge of having unlawful sexual connection with a girl under the age of 16.

Tiumalu was to stand trial in the Rotorua District Court next week but admitted the charge at callover after discussions with his lawyer, Louis Te Kani.

According to the Crown's summary of facts, Tiumalu, who was married and had a 2-year-old child, struck up a romantic relationship with the teenager last March, about a month after they first met.

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The pair would meet at her home and at friends' homes and the relationship continued for about five months, until the girl's death on July 18 in Rotorua Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

Throughout the relationship, Tiumalu insisted that they had unprotected sex, resulting in the girl undergoing at least one pregnancy test, the summary states.

The girl's family had welcomed him into their home. He had told them he was only 20 and also told the family he and the girl were not having sex.

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In May his wife, Elina Eva Tiumalu, found out about the relationship. He sent a text message to the girl on July 16 calling it off. His wife began texting the girl, telling her she would get friends to beat her up if she didn't leave her husband alone.

She also texted the girl pretending to be her husband, warning her to stop texting or she (Tiumalu's wife) would kill her and to watch her back.

On July 17 the girl's family rushed her to Rotorua Hospital in a critical condition. The girl died in the early hours of the next morning.

Rotorua Coroner Dr Wallace Bain is yet to hold an inquest into the girl's death.

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New Zealand|crime

'True friend' took own life after warning texts

16 Apr 04:00 PM

Elina Tiumalu was charged with intimidation and pleaded guilty to the charge on February 15. The 21-year-old received a nine-month deferred sentence by Judge James Wier in the Rotorua District Court.

Judge Phillip Cooper yesterday ordered Tiumalu to attend a restorative justice meeting with the girl's family, if they wished to have such a meeting.

The judge warned Tiumalu that jail was "a likely sentence".

Tiumalu was remanded on bail for a pre-sentence report and sentencing on June 25.

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