A third teen says man tricked her into sex

A 15-year-old girl told a jury yesterday that Hector Ayala, 59, a man she once considered family, tricked her into having sex by saying that it would ward off misfortune and help make wishes come true.

The girl is the third to testify at trial that Ayala, who is charged with rape, aggravated sexual assault and several related offenses, fooled her into sex by invoking untold mysticism.

She said that when she was 13, Ayala read her Tarot cards and said that he saw bad luck in her near future. He told her that it could be averted if she allowed him to perform oral sex on her.

"He was reading my cards and told me that I wasn't on a good path and that I had to do these things called 'five' and 'seven' to make things better," the girl said.

A 16-year-old, who testified Tuesday under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Leslie Gomez, said that Ayala also convinced her to have sex with him after reading her fortune.

Another 16-year-old testified last week that Ayala convinced her that having sex with him would lift a curse on her family.

All three girls testified that the numbers five and seven were part of a numerical code referencing specific sexual acts.

The 15-year-old said yesterday that she was reluctant to perform the sex acts with Ayala and considered his suggestion for several months, during which she described a home life that was "getting complicated."

"I kept thinking, 'Is this rape? Is this rape?' " she said, describing her thought process leading up to her sexual contact with Ayala. "I thought, 'No, it wouldn't be, because he cares about me.'

"I saw him as one of my family members and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me," she said.

She eventually agreed to Ayala's request. She said that he had told her to think of things that she wanted while he performed oral sex on her, and that she would get those things.

But, the girl said, Ayala then told her that the act would only yield temporary good fortune.

"He told me that I needed to do seven [vaginal intercourse] for it to be a complete job," the girl said."

After taking several months more to consider Ayala's new proposal, the girl said, she and Ayala had intercourse.

Following the encounter, Ayala told her to kiss him to prove her commitment to the supposed spiritual practice, the girl said.

She said that she had sexual contact with Ayala on only those two occasions. The other girls alleged that Ayala had abused them for years. *