Indiana, USA
Lake Station man gets probation for
sexual battery
Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell
sentenced a former Lake Station man to 18 months of probation for sexual
battery. Edgar Lopez Sanchez, 23, of Clarksville, pleaded guilty but mentally
ill to the class D felony in August.
He was taken to the Lake County Jail on a detainer
warrant issued by immigration officials because Sanchez is in the country
illegally. He faces deportation proceedings on Dec. 1.
Sanchez originally had been charged with rape and
faced a maximum 20-year sentence on the charge, which was dismissed Wednesday.
The Post Tribune
Nov. 27, 2008
Texas, USA
Laredo man receives 7½-year prison
sentence for possessing child pornography
Vea tambien:
Por pornografía infantil sentencian
a empleado de Diócesis católica
Laredo, Texas - A local man was sentenced Monday to
7½ years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. This sentence was
announced by acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson, Southern District of Texas, and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Jerry
Robinette.
Roger Garcia, 47, was sentenced Nov. 24 to 90 months
in prison by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez. After he completes his prison
sentence, Garcia will also be subject to a 10-year term of supervised release.
While on supervised release the court ordered Garcia to comply with the
following special conditions: he must register as a sex offender; he will be
prohibited from using the Internet; and he is prohibited from working directly
with anyone under 18 years old.
Garcia was indicted July 8 and was arrested three
days later. He has been in custody since he pleaded guilty to the charges in
August.
Texas, USA
A system's fatal flaws
Thousands of inmates admit they're in the U.S.
illegally, but even those convicted of violent crimes are often released right
back onto Houston's streets
...Dozens of suspected criminals who told jailers
they were in the country illegally are freed on bail, later abscond and are
accused of more crimes, or even vanish.
Many suspected [undocumented] immigrants convicted
of crimes from prostitution to sexual abuse avoid prison time by being sentenced
to probation...
• Armando De La Cruz, a Mexican national, told
jailers on two occasions in 2007 that he was undocumented. Both times, he was
convicted of assaulting his wife and released after serving his jail time. De La
Cruz is now back in Harris County Jail, charged with raping a woman at knife
point behind a southeast Houston apartment complex in July, and attempting to
rape another woman less than a week later. His defense attorney, Ricardo
Gonzalez, did not return phone calls.
• Pedro Alvarez, a convicted sex offender from El
Salvador who was first deported in 1991, racked up eight convictions in Harris
County over a span of two decades and was allowed to walk free from jail
multiple times — as recently as the spring of 2007. Immigration officials
finally charged him with re-entry after deportation in February. Sandra Zamora
Zayas, the attorney who represented Alvarez in federal court in South Texas, did
not return phone messages.
"It's just amazing how long it took them to catch up
with him," the mother of a 5-year-old girl Alvarez sexually assaulted in 1988
said in an interview with the Chronicle, after learning about Alvarez's extended
criminal history.
Susan Carroll
Houston Chronicle
Nov. 16, 2008
Guatemala
Discriminación racial y económica
afectan a niñas
Las niñas indígenas del área rural de
Guatemala tienen hoy pocas oportunidades de desarrollo escolar por su condición
étnica y económica, según la Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Educación,
la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO).
Racial and economic discrimination affects Girls
Indigenous girls in rural areas of Guatemala today
have few opportunities for educational development because of their ethnicity
and economic status, according to a report by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The
study by UNESCO reveals the disadvantages that indigenous children face in their
ability access the right to attend school, especially for girls.
According to the report, there are profound
disparities in Guatemala for socio-economic reasons, and due to one's place of
residence, language and gender. In remote regions in the country there are no
schools, or the likelihood that children will not attend or will desert school
are very high.
Only 54% of indigenous
7-year-old girls have entered primary school, compared to 71% percent of
indigenous boys the same age and 75 percent of
non-indigenous children.
Although there have been some forward steps made,
the country still shows large deficits relative to the rest of the continent.
Many parents choose to send boys to school, so that
they will eventually contribute money to the family.
At the same time, there is a prejudice that believes
that females are predestined to marry, where they will live under the tutelage
of her husband. Therefore, they do not need an education. [This concept exists
in many regions of Latin America.]
The present government is attempting to reverse this
pattern by offering resources to the poorest families, but only if those
families send their children to school and allow them to have health checkups.
Un estudio elaborado por la
institución revela las desventajas de la infancia indígena para acceder a los
servicios escolares, en particular si pertenece al sexo femenino.
De acuerdo con el texto, en
Guatemala existen profundas disparidades por razones socio-económicas, por el
lugar de domicilio, el idioma y el género, las cuales obstaculizan el proceso de
enseñanza y aprendizaje.
En los sitios remotos del país no
existen escuelas o las posibilidades de que los infantes no acudan o deserten
son muy altas.
El caso es más grave en las niñas de
las etnias originarias pues sólo el 54 por ciento de quienes tienen siete años
ingresan a la primaria, comparado con el 71 por ciento de varones de la misma
edad y 75 por ciento de las no indígenas, precisa la UNESCO.
Aunque se dieron algunos pasos de
avance, el país todavía muestra grandes rezagos en relación con el resto del
continente, según el documento presentado la víspera en Ginebra, Suiza, y
conocido hoy aquí.
En este fenómeno inciden la
situación de pobreza y algunos patrones sociales de conducta, pues muchos padres
optan por enviar a la escuela a los varones para que hallen pronto un empleo y
contribuyan al sostenimiento del hogar.
Además, existe el prejuicio de que
las hembras están predestinadas al matrimonio, donde vivirán bajo la tutela de
su esposo y por ello no precisan de mayor instrucción.
El gobierno actual intenta revertir
esta situación con la transferencia de recursos a las familias más pobres a
cambio de enviar a sus hijos a la escuela y someterlos a revisiones médicas en
los puestos de salud.
Prensa Latina
Nov. 26, 2008
Florida
ICE arrests four sex traffickers and
rescues nine trafficking victims who were forced into prostitution in several
South Florida brothels
Miami - R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in
Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that
Arturo-Rojas-Gonzalez, Elodia Capilla-Diego, Fidel Gutierrez-Gonzalez, and
Rosalio Valdez-Nava were arrested on Wednesday for sex trafficking of women in
several brothels across South Florida following an ongoing investigation led by
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This investigation was made possible by the
extensive collaboration among law enforcement agencies committed to combat this
modern day form of slavery. Law enforcement also worked with non-governmental
organizations to identify, rescue and provide assistance to the victims. The
defendants made their initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge
Edwin Torres yesterday at 1:30 PM in Miami, and detention hearings are scheduled
for each of the defendants on November 25, 2008 at 10:00 AM.
According to the criminal complaints filed with the
United States District Court, ICE conducted an intensive investigation into more
than a dozen brothels and stash houses where immigrant women were being forced
into prostitution. Through statements of former victims, corroborated by
surveillance and evidence obtained through search warrants, ICE arrested the
four alleged brothel operators as part of a larger criminal organization
operating similar brothels across South Florida. Additionally, as part of ICE's
efforts to dismantle this brothel network, nine victims were rescued from
locations where search warrants were executed on November 19, 2008.
U.S. ICE
Nov. 21, 2008
Tennessee, USA
Sex-slave advocates upset over rash
of Nashville incidents
Nashville's Free For Life Ministries began as a
charity primarily devoted to stopping sex slavery in places including Romania
and Tanzania by funding safe houses where girls could get away from their
captives.
However, the global ministry has focused its
attention back home after police have reported a rash of local sex slave cases,
WSMV reported.
"We have cases come up all the time, but no one
really knows about it because Hispanic illegal immigrants fear being deported,"
said sex-slave advocate Sara Sherman.
Recently, police in Memphis busted a sex slave
brothel and investigators are still on the case of the 13-year-old Hispanic
sex-slave in Brentwood -- who said she went through unimaginable things.
This week, a 22-year-old woman told police she was
driven from state to state and forced to have sex with up to seven men a day.
Police said two men were arrested and have agreed to
plead guilty in her case. Jesus Garcia and Arturo Perez will serve just six
months in jail and then face deportation.
"There are no safe houses here so they are not even
able to heal. It's not good enough," said sex-slave advocate Cecilia Hilton.
A new sex-slave law that recently went into effect
in Tennessee carries an 8 to 12 year sentence.
Dennis Ferrier
WSMV
Nov. 22, 2008
Pennsylvania, USA
Police release sketch of man wanted
in sexual assault
State police released a composite sketch this
afternoon of the man they believe sexually assaulted a 77-year-old North
Whitehall Township woman on Nov. 9 after she returned home from her morning
walk.
The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and
was treated at a local hospital, state police said.
According to state police, the woman went for her
walk about 8 a.m. and returned home about 20 minutes later. She noticed that
some of her items were strewn on the floor and she attempted to leave the home
to call for help. Before she could leave, the intruder came out of his hiding
spot in an adjoining room and tackled her, state police said.
The
suspect is described as a light-skinned Hispanic male, with average height and
weight and facial hair. He was wearing dark pants, a dark sweatshirt and a knit
cap. Police said the man was soft spoken.
Manuel Gamiz Jr.
The Morning Call
Nov. 20, 2008
Arizona, USA
Police seek serial sex predator
Man wanted In connection with 8 sex abuse
cases
Phoenix - Police have released a sketch of a man
sought in connection with a series of sex abuses cases dating back to March.
The man typically approaches the victims on or near
public thoroughfares and usually begins a conversation in Spanish, said Sgt.
Tommy Thompson of the Phoenix Police Department. During the dialogue he starts
fondling the women and then walks or runs away, Thompson said.
In one of the eight reported instances, he pushed a
woman down, Thompson said.
The man is described as Hispanic and between 20 to
40 years old. He is between 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs
140 to 200 pounds. He is clean shaven and has medium-dark complexion. He has
brown eyes and short black hair. The man also has a "heavy Mexican accent,"
according to one victim.
KPHO
Nov. 20, 2008
California, USA
Police seek man suspected of
flashing little girl
Man caught on videotape inside Tustin
Marshall's, authorities say.
Tustin - Police are looking for a man who exposed
himself to a child, Lt. John Strain of the Tustin Police Department said.
The man was caught on surveillance camera exposing
himself to a girl in a Marshall's on 17th Street at 5:09 p.m. on Sept. 7, police
said.
He was wearing a black printed T-shirt, baggy jeans
and had an earring in his left ear. The man was 20 to 30 years old, Hispanic, 5
feet 4 inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds, according to the police. The
man was seen in a gray Dodge pickup with "4FX" in the license plate number.
Elysse James
The Orange County Register
Nov. 19, 2008
Tennessee, USA
Men to serve 6 months In sex slave
case
Woman, 22, Forced To Have Sex In Tennessee,
Georgia, Florida
Nashville - Two men who were accused of forcing a
woman to have sex in multiple states for three years will be held in prison for
six months.
Jesus Garcia and Arturo Perez could have received a
sentence of eight to 12 years in prison under the state's new sexual servitude
law, but the victim refused to testify.
Garcia and Perez were charged after the case came to
light a few weeks ago during a prostitution sting. The men are said to have told
the woman they would kill her family in Mexico and her sister in Atlanta if she
didn't follow their orders.
The 22-year-old woman was driven between Tennessee,
Georgia and Florida in an effort to confuse her about her whereabouts since
January 2005, said investigators.
The woman was forced to engage in prostitution with
up to seven men a day, according to court records.
Investigators said she was tortured, stabbed and cut
with an ice pick to maintain her obedience.
Garcia and Arturo Perez are illegal immigrants who
face deportation after serving their sentence.
Sara Sherman and Cecilia Hilton, who both work in
anti-slavery outreach for Free For Life Ministries in Nashville, hoped this case
would be the beginning of harsher sentences for these crimes.
The said they were upset to hear from the district
attorney that a plea agreement was reached and a six-month sentence was issued.
Dennis Ferrier
WSMV
Nov. 18, 2008
Guatemala
Tratantes les prometieron trabajo en
EU
Niñas hondureñas viven explotación sexual en
Chiquimula
Honduran girls live in sexual exploitation in
Chiquimula - Traffickers had promised the victims work in the U.S.
Guatemala City - Honduran girls and adolescents,
deceived and taken to the city of Chiquimula, Guatemala by members of human
trafficking gangs, are forced into commercial sex in bars and brothels located
in the city.
According to a report in the Honduran newspaper La
Prensa, young women are recruited in their countries and are then trafficked to
the border town of Chiquimula for sexual exploitation. The victims had been
offered work in the United States and "a better quality of life."
Reporters from la Prensa recently visited Chiquimula
to document the testimonies of underage girls and young Honduran women who claim
that they are victims of abuse and insults from "clients".
Some bars, like the Grand Brandy and La Cabaña run
prostitution operations openly, while others are disguised as workshops or
apartment buildings that have dance floors and underground rooms where underage
girls are hidden.
Niñas y adolescentes hondureñas,
engañadas y movilizadas hacia Chiquimula, Guatemala, por integrantes de bandas
de trata de personas, son obligadas al comercio sexual en bares y lupanares
ubicados en dicha ciudad.
De acuerdo con un reporte del diario
La Prensa, de Honduras, las jóvenes son reclutadas en su país y movilizadas
hacia la ciudad fronteriza de Chiquimula, Guatemala, para explotarlas
sexualmente; al inicio les ofrecen trabajo en Estados Unidos y “una mejor
calidad de vida”.
Reporteros del referido medio
visitaron Chiquimula recientemente para documentar algunos testimonios de niñas
y jóvenes hondureñas, quienes aseguran son víctimas de malos tratos e insultos
por parte de “los clientes”.
Cerigua
Nov. 19, 2008
Mexico
Amenazado de Muerte En Chihuahua,
Director del Diario La Polaka se va a Vivir con su Familia a EU
Jorge Luis Aguirre, director of the online journal
La Polaka, has exiled himself and his entire family to the United States after
being threatened with death in Ciudad Juarez, according to the Center for
Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET).
The journalist announced that this is not the first
threat he had received, demanding that he stop his editorials, given that his
online journal disseminates information about crime and public safety, and
reports complaints from people living in the state capital of Chihuahua, Ciudad
Juarez and El Paso, Texas.
Journalists in Ciudad Juárez have learned that
others of their colleagues have also been threatened. Some media outlets have
decided to reduce their reporting on crime and organized delinquency.
Faced with this situation, CEPET has expressed alarm
at this wave of threats and violence, and has urged the authorities to take
urgent measures to ensure the free exercise of journalism.
Jorge Luis Aguirre, director del
diario en línea La Polaka, se auto exilió junto con toda su familia en Estados
Unidos luego de ser amenazado de muerte en Ciudad Juárez, informó el Centro de
Periodismo y Ética Pública (Cepet).
El periodista informó al Cepet que
ésta no es la primera amenaza que recibe, en la que le han dicho que“le baje a
su línea editorial”, debido a la información que difunde sobre seguridad, ya que
La Polaka es un diario electrónico de información política donde se publican
frecuentes críticas y denuncias sobre la capital de Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, y
de El Paso, Texas.
También entre los periodistas de
Ciudad Juárez trascendió que otros comunicadores fueron amenazados y que algunos
medios de comunicación decidieron reducir la información sobre crímenes y
delincuencia organizada. Ante esta situación, el Cepet expresó su alarma por
esta ola de amenazas y violencia, y exhortó a las autoridades a que tomen
medidas urgentes para garantizar el libre ejercicio del periodismo.
CIMAC Noticias
Nov. 19, 2008
Mexico
Pide Cndh A Gobiernos Y Legislaturas
De 13 Estados Mejorar Leyes Contra La Trata De Personas
Human Rights Commission asks governments and
legislatures of 13 states to improve laws against trafficking in persons
Mexico City - Mexico's National Commission on Human
Rights has reported that the National Ombudsman, Jose Luis Soberanes, has called
upon the executive branches and legislatures of 13 states to develop a
collaborative effort to improve laws against the human trafficking, to ensure
the investigation and criminal prosecution and sentencing of of members of
criminal gangs, and to provide victim assistance.
During the national forum "The National Legislation
Against Human Trafficking," Soberanes expressed outrage over the kidnapping of
ten Central migrant women last week in Oaxaca, and invited the Forum
participants to raise their voices once again to say to traffickers that "enough
is enough."
The Ombudsman stressed that 80 percent of the
victims of this crime are women and girls. He also noted that poverty,
discrimination, gender inequality, a lack of economic opportunities, ignorance
and the promise of a better life [that migrants seek] are factors in determining
the seriousness of these crimes.
El Ombudsman Nacional, José Luis
Soberanes, pidió a gobiernos y legislaturas de 13 estados realizar un esfuerzo
de colaboración para mejorar las leyes contra la trata de personas, para
garantizar la investigación de los casos denunciados, la persecución y
consignación penal de los integrantes de las bandas criminales y la asistencia a
las víctimas, informó la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos.
Durante el Foro Regional “La
Legislación Nacional Contra la Trata de Personas”, Soberanes manifestó su
indignación por el secuestro de diez mujeres migrantes centroamericanas la
semana pasada en Oaxaca, e invitó a los participantes del Foro a levantar la voz
una vez más para decir “ya basta” a la trata de personas.
El Ombudsman subrayó que el 80 por
ciento de las víctimas de este delito son mujeres y niñas. Asimismo, señaló que
la pobreza, la discriminación, la desigualdad de género, la falta de
oportunidades económicas, el desconocimiento y la promesa de una mejor vida son
factores determinantes en la gravedad de ese delito.
CIMAC Noticias
Nov. 19, 2008
Mexico
Rights agency calls on Mexico to
protect migrants
Mexico City - Mexico's National Human Rights
Commission asked legislators on Sunday to change the country's laws so that
police would no longer have to ask migrants about their legal status when they
file criminal complaints.
The idea is to make it easier for undocumented
migrants in Mexico to report crimes, abuses or extortion atte
/ Welcome
