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Tanzanian Refugees Charged In Idaho Gang-Rape

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Four refugees from Tanzania have been charged with the gang-rape of a woman in Kuna, Idaho.

Three adults — 18-year-olds Swedi Iyombelo and Rashidi Mulanga, and 19-year-old Elias Lupango — and a 16-year-old juvenile male were arrested on Thursday and charged with felony rape, according to KTVB. All four currently live in Boise, Idaho.

The three adult defendants declared their innocence during a Friday afternoon court appearance. Prosecutors say Iyombelo contacted the 18-year-old victim via social media and agreed to meet in Kuna “to hang out, but sex was not discussed,” KTVB reported.

“The victim believed she was meeting only one individual, your Honor,” said the prosecutor. “The victim arrived at the location and observed four males, not just one. She stated to law enforcement that she was initially apprehensive upon arriving, but stayed.”

KTVB reported:

Iyombelo and the 16-year-old got into the victim’s car, and the woman and Iyombelo began having consensual sex, the prosecutor said.

But after the sex began, the woman told Iyombelo to stop, she told police. According to the prosecutor, Iyombelo later admitted to detectives that the woman said no three times, but he kept having sex with her.

The other three defendants then took turns raping the victim, the prosecutor said.

After their arrest, Lupango and Mulanga told police “that they were never given permission to have sex with the victim in this case, and that she just laid there,” said the prosecutor. “Both stated that she probably didn’t want them to have sex with her.” (RELATED: Tucker Asked Jorge Ramos How Many Caravan Migrants He Planned To Take In – Things Got Awkward Fast)

The defendants are being held on $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 27.

Watch KTVB’s coverage below:

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