Frahm poses a flight risk, ordered detained

The U.S. District Court for the NMI has ruled in favor of the U.S government to detain David Matthew Frahm pending trial after evidence established that he’s a flight risk.

Last week, the U.S. government made a motion to detain Frahm pending trial.

Yesterday, the parties in the Frahm case went before U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona for a detention hearing.

During the hearing, the U.S government, represented by assistant U.S. attorney Eric O’Malley, presented testimony from FBI Special Agent Richard Bauer and made arguments in favor of Frahm’s detention.

For the defense’s side, attorney Richard Miller made arguments to the court in support of Frahm’s release.

After hearing from the parties, the court granted the government’s motion for detention and ordered defendant detained pending trial.

“The government established, by a preponderance of the evidence, that defendant is a flight risk,” court found.

However, the court also found that the government failed to satisfy the “clear and convincing” standard that the defendant is a danger to the community or any other person.

Also, during the hearing, Miller made an oral motion to extend the pretrial motions deadline to June 28.

Without objection from the U.S. government, the court granted the oral motion and ordered that pretrial motions for both parties are now due June 28.

Frahm was remanded back to U.S. Marshals’ custody following the hearing and he will remain detained until his trial set for August.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Frahm, a former local high school band teacher, is facing child pornography charges in federal court.

After he arrived on Saipan last week following a successful extradition from Malaysia, Frahm was brought before U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Manglona for an initial appearance and arraignment in a case involving child pornography.

Specifically, in this case, Frahm faces charges of attempted exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him.

After pleading not guilty, Manglona set the matter for a jury trial on Aug. 13 at 10am.

Meanwhile, Miller said he intends to file a motion to dismiss the engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places charge against Frahm based on lack of venue.

“Even if the court has jurisdiction over the defendant for count three, there’s still the question ‘why Saipan” when the conduct took place in Malaysia. On the face of the indictment, it’s not clear. Sometimes venue is obvious on the face of the indictment, and that’s enough. But here, it’s just not obvious in count three so I expect we will file a motion on that,” he said.

Frahm pleaded guilty before a court in Malaysia last month to possessing child pornography.

In addition, Frahm pleaded not guilty to the sexual harassment charges filed against him after allegedly producing sexual material when he allegedly filmed a minor showering in her home.

David Matthew Frahm