Teens say man used tarot to get sex

PHILADELPHIA, July 3 (UPI) -- Three teenagers have testified that a Philadelphia man used tarot cards and threats of curses to get them to have sex with him.

A 15-year-old said Wednesday she was 13 when Hector Ayala, 59, first convinced her to have oral sex and months later intercourse, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Thursday. She said Ayala used a numerical code, with five for oral sex and seven for intercourse.

"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," she said.

Ayala is on trial charged with rape, aggravated sexual assault and other offenses.

A 16-year-old girl told a similar story Tuesday and another 16-year-old testified last week Ayala told her having sex with him would protect her family from a curse. Both girls said Ayala abused them for several years, while the 15-year-old said she had sex with him only twice.

The 15-year-old said she wondered if what Ayala was doing was rape and decided it was not because she believed he cared about her.

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