Posted on: Tuesday, April 10, 2001

Assault in hotel draws 15 years

By William Cole
Advertiser Courts Writer

A city deputy prosecutor yesterday railed against a 26-year-old man for saying in a sentencing report his victim "came on to him" when he and another man forced their way into a Waikiki hotel room and sexually assaulted and robbed two female Japanese tourists.

Chris Linville pleaded guilty in January to 12 charges, including first-degree burglary, second-degree sexual assault and kidnapping in the attack last April on the two women.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Deputy Prosecutor Renee Sonobe-Hong yesterday called it "disgusting" that Linville showed no remorse in writing that the 24-year-old woman he attacked "basically came on to him," and indicating "the victim turned the tables on him and set him up."

Linville broke into the hotel room, punched the woman in the face, gagged her and tied her up, and sexually assaulted her, Sonobe-Hong said.

Joshua Fields, 21, pleaded guilty to similar charges and faces sentencing April 27.

As part of the plea agreement, Linville yesterday was sentenced to the prison time for the attack, as well as the burglary of Players sports bar, also in April 2000, and a February, 2000 car break-in, Sonobe-Hong said.

Circuit Judge Richard Perkins also ordered Linville to pay $1,000 restitution for the loss of belongings in the hotel break-in and counseling the woman received in Japan.

He also must serve 100 hours of community service.

Linville's attorney, Michael Green, said his client may have worried what his mother thought about the sexual assault in penning the alternate version of events in the sentencing report.

Green said Linville readily admitted everything else.

Green called the sentence appropriate and said he hopes his client, who used drugs for many years, will receive drug treatment so that at some point he can become a "productive citizen."