Maniac BDF soldier found guilty of raping 17-year-old girl and recording the whole thing on his phone

By Breaking Belize News Staff: An Belize Defence Force soldier was remanded to the Belize Central Prison on Thursday morning after being found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl, a conviction secured by damning video footage of the rape that he recorded on his own mobile phone that completely shattered his defense of consensual sex.

Mark Anthony Nolberto, 31, arrived to court shielded by two women who threatened our court reporter and stood before Justice Candace Nanton in the High Court where he was found guilty of two of the three counts of rape he was called to answer to. The verdict brought a dramatic end to a trial that began on May 27, 2026, and was heard entirely “in camera” to protect the identity of the victim, who was just 17 years old when the crimes began in April 2024. While Nolberto took the stand to deliver a sworn testimony claiming the victim had consented at all times, the prosecution presented irrefutable digital evidence that proved otherwise.

The turning point in the case came from a graphic video extraction obtained by police from Nolberto’s cell phone. Prepared and entered into evidence by Prosecutor Joseph Perez from the Director of Public Prosecutions office, the footage captured Nolberto raping the victim and forcing her to perform oral sex. In the recording, the soldier could be heard making verbal threats, telling the young woman that she could not go anywhere, and forcing her to comply with his demands to satisfy his sexual urges.

Nolberto had initially faced a total of five indictments, including four counts of rape and one count of attempted rape. However, his defense attorney, Orson “OJ” Elrington, successfully argued a no-case submission regarding two of those charges following arguments heard on May 28 and June 2, 2026. Justice Nanton upheld that submission, ruling that Nolberto did not have to answer to Counts 4 and 5 because the victim, who testified at the age of 19, did not provide evidence reflecting those specific incidents.

When the remaining charges were decided at approximately 9:30 this morning, Justice Nanton acquitted Nolberto of Count 1, which allegedly occurred on April 5, 2024, but found him guilty of Counts 2 and 3, which took place on April 6, 2024, and were heavily supported by the recovered phone data. The judge indicated that her detailed reasoning for the verdicts would be provided to the court in writing.

Immediately following the guilty verdicts, Justice Nanton revoked Nolberto’s bail, ending his active tenure with the military as he was transported to the Belize Central Prison. To facilitate the upcoming sentencing phase, the court has ordered the preparation of a Special Inquiry Report, a Victim Impact Statement, an Antecedent History report, and a Kolbe Foundation Report. Formal submissions on sentencing from both the prosecution and defense are required to be filed by July 22, 2026, and the matter has been adjourned until July 24, 2026, when Nolberto will learn his fate.

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