Local police said when suspect Francis Mannaky was arrested for alleged sexual assault of a young child, he told them it was acceptable in his culture to verify if younger females are being touched by a man.

But Senator Clynt Ridgell, an advocate of the Chuukese community, says that's simply not true.

"There is nothing in Micronesian culture that says men are allowed to molest their younger females in their families or whatever. Whatever he's trying to say, that's false. In fact, incest is highly frowned upon in the Micronesian community. It's taboo."

He says what is a problem in Micronesian culture is shame. He says it discourages families from coming forward and reporting those kinds of assaults. But he adds that's probably true in many other cultures.