A U.S. postal worker in New York was arrested by police after raping a 15-year-old girl inside a delivery van while on duty, shocking American society.
The suspect, Janrey Buesetan Gutama, 23, from Montauk, New York, was arrested by East Hampton police last Friday and charged with rape.
Reports state the incident occurred on 11 May while Gutama was delivering parcels in the Hampton area. The suspect was previously acquainted with the victim, which is believed to have enabled him to gain her trust and lure her into the delivery van.
After the incident, the frightened girl confided in a teacher at school, who then immediately contacted the police to investigate.
Subsequently, police collaborated with the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s Office in a joint investigation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
Besides the charge of raping a minor, Gutama was also charged with acts harmful to the welfare of a child.
Under New York law, if convicted of first-degree rape of a minor—a serious felony—the suspect could face up to 25 years in prison, with a minimum sentence of 5 years. The charge of harming a child's welfare carries a maximum sentence of 1 year.
U.S. media reported that inquiries to the U.S. Postal Service and local police regarding the suspect’s detention status and any confessions have not yet yielded further information.
This case has reminded many of the 2022 tragedy involving Athena Strand, a 7-year-old girl in the U.S. who was lured into a FedEx delivery van and murdered by driver Tanner Horner during Christmas parcel deliveries. Horner, 34, was recently sentenced to death by lethal injection earlier this month.
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