Detectives charge criminal illegal alien after he forced 16-year-old child into sexual relationship

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FLORIDA — The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office charged a 32-year-old criminal illegal alien after detectives learned he forced a 16-year-old child to engage in a sexual relationship with him.

Detectives began their investigation on January 6 when they were alerted to a disturbance at the victim’s place of employment where Noe Ramirez-Lopez assaulted her. According to the victim, Ramirez-Lopez became increasingly jealous and aggressive, often pressuring the victim to have sex with him and following her to work. In fear for her safety and immigration status, the victim did not report Ramirez-Lopez’s actions until the assault took place in front of her employer. To protect the identity of the victim, the sheriff’s office has chosen to withhold any further details related to their relationship.

Through continued investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant and the Fugitive Apprehension Unit located Ramirez-Lopez at the Seminole Casino Reservation in Tampa. Ramirez-Lopez was booked into the Orient Road Jail on Tuesday and today transported to the Sarasota County Jail where he faces a single count of Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors.

Working in partnership with local, state and federal agencies, detectives learned Ramirez-Lopez was arrested by the Sarasota Police Department in 2008 for No Valid Driver’s License and released the same day on $500 bond. One week later, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office took Ramirez-Lopez into custody and contacted Border Patrol. Ramirez-Lopez requested a speedy deportation hearing and on August 21, was deported to Guatemala with a “ban” not to return to the United States. Following today’s arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) is also charging him with Re-Entry After Deportation because of his violation of the ban.

This unique arrest comes less than a month after Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight and 16 other Florida sheriffs announced the new Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) in partnership with I.C.E. The agreement aims to prevent the release of criminal illegal aliens back into the community by prioritizing and streamlining the process for review and removal.

“This is a prime example of why I joined more than a dozen other Florida sheriffs to partner on the basic ordering agreement,” said Sheriff Tom Knight. “This individual came into our community illegally once, was sent back to his country and then returned; only this time to take advantage of a 16-year-old child who isn’t old enough to give consent. He manipulated a child and robbed her of any childhood she may have had. The actions of this individual are appalling and prove yet again, why we made the right decision by entering into this agreement in the first place.”

The child victim, who is now 17, remains in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services. The sheriff’s office is working closely with the State Attorney’s Office to ensure the child will be connected with the proper resources as the investigation continues.

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