Seda Tiv is on trial in the Rotorua District Court. Photo / Andrew Warner
A man used fake names on Snapchat and Facebook to befriend two teenage girls - one underage - before raping them, a jury has been told.
Seda Tiv, now aged 27, has pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to the two Rotorua girls, unknown to each other.
The charges include travelling to meet a young person under the age of 16 for sexual grooming, two counts of unlawful sexual connection and one count of raping the girl. He is further charged with raping a different girl aged over 16. Tiv was aged 24.
Crown prosecutor Anna McConachy opened her case in the Rotorua District Court yesterday, saying both girls independently went to the police and gave similar evidence.
The first would give evidence she befriended a man on Snapchat. The second was added by a man on Facebook.
McConachy said police investigated the teens’ complaints and found a man - Tiv - was using false names to meet women on social media.
McConachy said the first girl would give evidence he told her he was 18 when they became friends via Snapchat. They arranged to meet outside her house at 11.30pm. She jumped out of her bedroom window to go and see him.
The man, who was later discovered to be Tiv, was driving a big black car. He told her to get in and they started talking. Eventually, he kissed her and rubbed her leg.
McConachy said Tiv asked to take it further but the teen refused. Tiv climbed into the back seat and invited the girl to join him, which she did.
However, when he took things further she repeatedly said no. McConachy said Tiv climbed on top of the teen and raped her despite her crying and pleading with him to stop.
“He ignored this and simply continued … When he finished he saw she was crying, wiped the tears from her face and asked her why she was upset and she said that’s because he had taken advantage of her after she had told him no several times.”
She said the following day he messaged the girl on Snapchat to apologise for what he had done.
The second teen would say Tiv added her on Facebook under a false name.
He asked her if she wanted to meet up, the teen agreed and they met about 10pm.
McConachy said Tiv picked the teen up from her house and gave her alcohol while they drove around Rotorua, the Blue Lake and Ngongotahā.
The teen was not used to drinking alcohol and became drunk and sick.
Tiv drove her home and asked if he could stay, saying he had drunk too much to drive.
McConachy said the teen told Tiv he could stay but there was to be “no funny business”.
She allowed him to sleep in her bed and he tried to kiss her but she refused and pulled her face away. She then fell asleep due to her extreme intoxication.
McConachy said the teen would give evidence that she was in and out of consciousness but remembered Tiv doing things to her sexually. She woke later naked and having full sexual intercourse.
She began to cry but was unable to do anything due the state of her intoxication, McConachy said.
The following day, Tiv sent her a message thanking her for the night before, saying: “Honestly I feel like I make [sic] you had sex with me and I feel bad about it.”
The teen blocked Tiv and went to the police a couple of days later.
McConachy told the jury any cases involving rape were confronting but this one was simple.
She said Tiv would not deny he had sex with the girls, but would say it was consensual.
She said it was against the law to have sexual connection with anyone under the age of 16 and therefore he was guilty on three of the five charges simply by admitting they had sexual relations.
On the two charges of rape, McConachy said the complainants’ evidence was independent and showed a pattern of behaviour that Tiv was not prepared to take no for an answer.
Bill Nabney is appearing for Tiv and did not make an opening statement.
The trial is before Judge Gregg Hollister-Jones and a jury of seven women and five men. Tiv has an interpreter as Nabney said he needed some English words explained to him.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.