A 23-year-old man in Suffolk County, New York, has been charged in connection with the sexual abuse of two teenage girls. Prosecutors say the man, Jenry Buestan Gutama, abused two teens whom he knew. If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
The case began with an incident reported in May. According to prosecutors, Gutama raped a 15-year-old girl as she was on her way home from school. The assault is said to have taken place inside his work vehicle.
The victim in that case was someone the man knew, according to authorities. The girl was 15 years old at the time of the reported assault. Investigators have described the relationship between the two as one in which the victim was acquainted with the suspect.
After news coverage of Gutama's arrest in that case, another person came forward. A 19-year-old contacted authorities to say that she, too, had been abused by Gutama. She reported that the abuse happened in a car when she was 15 years old.
The account from the second person pointed to a similar pattern. In both cases, the girls were 15 years old at the time of the reported abuse. In both cases, prosecutors say the victims were known to the man now facing charges.
The charges against Gutama reflect the seriousness of the allegations. He has been charged in connection with the rape and sexual abuse of the two girls. The most serious of the counts carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
The case is now moving through the court system in Suffolk County. The identities of the two victims have not been made public, in keeping with the handling of cases involving minors. Authorities continued to pursue the matter after the additional account came forward following the initial arrest.