Texas Deputy Charged With Sexually Abusing 4-Year Old Child While Threatening Her Mom With Deportation
A Sheriff's deputy in Texas was accused of sexual abuse of a 4-year-old girl, before threatening her mother, an undocumented immigrant, with deportation if she dared to seek help. He is now being held since Monday, June 18 on charges of "super aggravated sexual assault."
"The details of the case are quite frankly heartbreaking, disturbing, disgusting and infuriating all at the same time," Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said about the case involving 47-year old Jose Nunez, a deputy serving as a detention center.
According to the County Sheriff, the mother of the girl fled with her child to a local fire station after the girl cried out to her for help. Deputies have immediately responded by arresting Nunez early morning at 4 a.m. after an initial investigation, according to the San Antonio Express News.
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Salazar also added that the mother, who is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, has been allegedly threatened by Nunez if she reported the abuse to authorities. Authorities believe that Nunez has sexually assaulted the child for months or even years as her mother was allegedly blackmailed with deportation "to place her in fear."
The assaults reportedly occurred at the girl's home.
Case investigators are now working to ensure that the mother is given protected status as a witness, according to Salazar, adding that the girl now is now in safe hands.
"I don't know that he was purposely targeting the undocumented community," Salazar said. "Certainly what was appealing was the vulnerability of that community because they are less apt to report things," he added, as quoted by NBC News.
For now, it's not yet clear if Nunez, who is a 10-year veteran of the Sheriff's department, has entered a plea. The charges he is now facing carries a conviction sentence of 25 years in prison, at the least.
