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