Maryland church teacher charged with sexually abusing children was twice deported
A Maryland church teacher who was in the country illegally faced charges of sexually assaulting multiple children, as confirmed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to The National Desk (TND) on Thursday.
Ervin Jeovany Alfaro-Lopez, 33, originally from El Salvador, was arrested and charged on Monday for sexually abusing at least three children at a Montgomery County church. Alfaro-Lopez had a prior arrest in 2015 for illegally entering the country and was released on a $7,500 bond.
In 2018, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Alfaro-Lopez's deportation, and he left the country in 2019. However, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him in 2020 for re-entering the country illegally, leading to his deportation again that same year.
ICE mentioned that it remains unclear how or when Alfaro-Lopez managed to return to the U.S. without undergoing processing by immigration officials.
In August 2023, Alfaro-Lopez was arrested on charges of second-degree rape and third-degree sex offense. These charges were later amended to 12 counts of sexual assault dating back to November 2014, as per ICE.
On Monday, Alfaro-Lopez faced an additional 13 counts of sexual assault between March 2016 and December 2018, with five counts involving sexual abuse of a minor. He is currently held without bail at the Montgomery County Detention Center.
The rising incidents of crimes involving migrants are placing significant strain on law enforcement resources across various levels. Kenner, Louisiana Police Chief Keith Conley highlighted the challenges faced by local police departments in prosecuting undocumented individuals, citing the difficulties in verifying their information, which not only consumes manpower but also strains law enforcement budgets and taxpayer funds.
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