Hotel manager sexually assaults woman during job interview

A hotel manager has been found guilty of raping a woman during a job interview.

During the trial, Ruel Lizardo Baradas, 34, admitted he had abused his position for sex.

But Baradas, denied it was non-consensual.

As a result, he pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The Northern Territory Supreme Court jury however did not accept that and was quick to convict him.

The woman told the jury that she did not give her consent. She told the court that she was saying 'no, no' and she had made it clear that she was not consenting

The woman was 29 years old and had come from from Taiwan.

She had been in Australia for four days before the interview.

Prosecutor Stephen Geary described Baradas, a married father of two, as a “manipulative man”.

He also accused him of being a liar who had taken advantage of a vulnerable woman.

The woman had been interviewed for a housekeeping job at the Mantra Pandanas hotel in Darwin in October.

The court heard that during that interview, Baradas had put pressure on the woman.

He allegedly repeatedly asked the woman, “What can you do to convince me to hire you?”

He had told the woman she was pretty. And he said to her “I like you.”

The court heard she was allegedly raped twice in the hotel suite's bedroom.

The woman had used a phone to communicate with Mr Badaras, translating from Mandarin to English.

Mr Geary said Mr Badaras pointed at three Xs on the woman's CV and said they 'meant porn'.

The court heard Badaras had asked for a massage when he heard she had experienced as a masseuse.

Mr Geary said the woman “reluctantly agreed” when Badaras told her it was “her turn to be massaged”.

The jury was told he told her to roll over.

He then took off her pants and penetrated her twice.

Leon Getler 22nd June 2018.