VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach said a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for Aggravated Sexual Battery and Custodial Indecent Liberties. It's about three times more than the high-end of the Virginia State Sentencing Guidelines.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney, Colin D. Stolle, said 55-year-old Teodoro Tabara Lumaban Jr., pled guilty on May 6, 2019.
Commonwealth's evidence, if presented in court, would have shown that in November 2011, a young child started to show strange behavior during bath time. This behavior was observed by a family member.
The child said the behavior was replicating acts that had been done to the child by Teodoro Lumaban Jr., who was known to the child. However, Police were not notified at this time.
Several years later, the child started to show inappropriate interest in pornography. The child told a family member that it reminded the child of former abuse inflicted upon the child by Lumaban.
Police were then notified and began an investigation into Lumaban.
The child provided a detailed forensic interview of the abuse. Detectives called Lumaban, and he agreed to meet with them on October 18, 2013, but he did not show up for the meeting.
On October 20, 2013, Lumaban sent a resignation email to his employer. On October 21, 2013, his wife filed a missing person’s report with the Virginia Beach Police Department. This report was quickly closed after detectives spoke with Department of Homeland Security investigators at the Norfolk airport. They learned that Lumaban left the United States to Ethiopia from Washington D.C. sometime between October 16 and October 20, 2013.
In June 2017, Lumaban was discovered in the Philippines while attempting to renew his passport. He was later extradited to the United States for prosecution.
Normally, the recommended sentence is no more than five years and seven months.
