And, another case of suspected child abuse...
A 22 year old Guatemalan caught smuggling a 13 year old girl may now be the target in a sex trafficking investigation.
On Monday Ladyville Police intercepted Donald Cruz from Flores, Peten. He entered Belize without an entry stamp, but he said he came here to accompany a 13 year old girl to Orange Walk as a favour to her mother.
Cruz told police that her mother met him at the Benque Viejo Station she handed the minor over to him. Police later searched the bus and that's when he was detained and the girl taken into the custody of the Human Services Department where she presently remains.
And that's because the minor alleges that he was having sexual relations with her.
And while that is being investigated he was taken to court where he pleaded guilty to being a prohibited immigrant and was fined a thousand dollars,
The Immigration Department applied for his removal from the country, but the prosecutor asked if the removal could be granted to take effect after 60 days, because there has been very serious allegations of sexual assault made against Cruz-Perez by the 13-year-old.
This was granted and he remains in custody pending investigation.
