16-year-old accuser testifies in rape trial

The now-16-year-old girl Robert Serrano is accused of raping in 2017 took the stand on the second day of his trial, telling jurors she was disgusted when she learned she had been exchanging Facebook messages with a middle-aged man from Los Lunas and not the handsome Peruvian teenager he’d posed as online.

She used the word “disgusted” three more times in her 30 minutes of testimony Tuesday before the state District Court adjourned for the day: She was disgusted when she first saw his real face, disgusted when he realized he wanted to date her despite their age difference — she was 12 and he was in his mid-50s — and disgusted when he sent her gifts in the mail.

The girl — who was removed from her mother’s custody following the alleged assaults by Serrano and now lives with her father out of state — took the stand late in the day Tuesday.

Her testimony is expected to continue Wednesday.

It was unclear from the few questions she answered whether her testimony will be strong enough to convict 60-year-old Serrano in a case largely built on her word.

She said she remembered going to the movies with Serrano and her younger sister Oct. 5, 2017 — one of two dates when he is accused of raping her — and that she was worried he might hold her against her will because he had done so before.

She drank something that smelled strong and made her feel “kinda dizzy” that night, she said, and didn’t remember much of what happened after that until she regained consciousness in the back seat of Serrano’s vehicle, which was parked outside her home.

She and Serrano were in the back seat, she said, and her mother was standing outside.

According to evidence presented earlier in the trial, Serrano had ingratiated himself with the girl’s mother after befriending the child online.

Police went to the girl’s home the next morning to investigate a call to her school from someone who identified himself as “Pastor Marco” — police believe it was Serrano — reporting to officials she was being exploited online. According to evidence presented at his trial, Serrano was at the home when officers arrived and told them he was

helping the girl’s family prevent her from running away.

The girl told jurors Serrano had put “bruises” or “hickeys” on her neck — which also were shown in police evidence photos — but she didn’t remember how or when he put them there.

“I’m not sure,” she said. I don’t remember because I blacked out.”

Serrano is charged with two first-degree felony counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13.

If he is convicted on both counts, he could be sent to prison for up to 36 years.