A Royal Saudi Air
Force sergeant, jailed since New Year’s Eve after he was accused of raping a
13-year old boy, has had his bail set at US$1.22m, it was reported.
Mazen Alotaibi,
who is expected to plead guilty of all charges, was granted the high bail
because the US and Saudi Arabia do not have an extradition treaty in place, the
judge said, in comments published by Associated Press.
Alotaibi, a
23-year old mechanic, is accused of forcing a boy into a hotel room before
raping him. Other charges include lewdness with a minor, kidnapping, sexual
assault with a minor, coercion and burglary. If convicted, the most serious charges could put
Alotaibi in prison for life.
Alotaibi
acknowledged during police questioning that he had sexual intercourse with the
boy, prosecutor Mary Kay Holthus said. Alotaibi’s defence attorney said
the boy wanted marijuana and refused to leave the hotel room despite repeated
requests by Alotaibi and as many as four other Saudi men.
“I do not
believe there was any force here,” he said. “This is not a forcible rape. At
most, if there was any sexual contact, it was consensual.”
Las Vegas
Justice of the Peace Bill Kephart called the allegations against him
“appalling”.
Alotaibi’s
evidentiary hearing will be heard on January 31.
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