Honduran Special Prosecutor for Children Moves

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000779 SIPDIS STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL/IL, DRL/PHD, AND INL/LP STATE FOR WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN, PRM, DS, CA, AND G/IWI STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM GUATEMALA FOR POL, NAS, AND RSO DOL FOR ILAB DOJ FOR OPDAT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG KWMN ELAB PGOV PREL KJUS HO SUBJECT: Honduran Special Prosecutor for Children Moves Ahead on Multiple TIP/CSEC Prosecutions Ref: (A) Tegucigalpa 622 (B) Tegucigalpa 457 (C) Tegucigalpa 456 ¶1. Summary: PolOff met March 28 with Honduran Special Prosecutor for Children Nora Urbina to discuss the status of several trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) cases. Summaries of these cases are below. End Summary. Honduras/Guatemala CSEC Case -------------- ¶2. As discussed in ref B, an investigation by the Special Prosecutor for Children into a possible CSEC involving Honduran girls sexually exploited, possibly using the Internet, in Honduras and Guatemala led to the arrest in Talanga (outside Tegucigalpa) of two Honduran sisters, Lina Odales Diaz Luqe and Kenia Suyapa Diaz Luqe, and the rescuing of two Honduran teenage minors. The girls were duped with false job offers in Guatemala and were forced to work in prostitution. After being rescued, they were repatriated to Honduras. There are pending arrest warrants for two men (one Guatemalan, Walter Herminio Ramirez Arocha, and one Honduran, Luis Gustavo Franco). Urbina went to Guatemala City in early April to work on this case and try to rescue additional Honduran girls being commercially sexually exploited with the assistance of Guatemalan authorities. Urbina continues to build a larger case and is gathering allegations from more victims currently in Honduras. Honduras/Guatemala Child Pornography Case -------------- ¶3. A Honduran man, Marvin Gerard Erazo Caballero, was arrested and three Honduran girls rescued in Guatemala. The girls were apparently brought from Honduras to Guatemala, enrolled in a school, and forced to participate in the making of child pornography. The girls were allegedly told to try to get other girls at the school to participate in the pornography. The Honduran Special Prosecutor for Children is working closely with her Guatemalan counterpart as it appears there are yet to be identified Guatemalan girls who were also victims. ¶4. In another child pornography case, one Honduran man was arrested in Tegucigalpa for exploiting two Honduran girls to make child pornography. Cases Continue Against Bars and "Massage Parlors" -------------- -------------- ¶5. Cases continue against several bars and massage parlors accused of CSEC, specifically prostitution. There is an outstanding arrest warrant for pimping children for the Spanish owner of the Titanic bar in Tegucigalpa, Jose Maria Vega Llorenti. He is believed to have fled to Spain; the bar's manager, a Honduran woman, is under arrest. In another case there is an outstanding arrest warrant for a fugitive Honduran man for running a "massage parlor" with minor prostitutes. Organized Crime Prosecutor Working Other Cases -------------- - ¶6. The Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime, in conjunction with the Special Prosecutor for Children, continues to work with DHS/ICE on the New Jersey case (see ref B for details),as well as the case of the alleged AmCit peodophile in Honduras, Carl Dean Hurley (see ref A for details). Under house arrest due to his age, Hurley did not show up for his April 11 court date to be formally indicted, has been declared a fugitive, and reportedly may have fled to Guatemala. ¶7. These cases are in addition to the other older TIP cases being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime. Palmer