Immigration Authorities Seek Custody of Repeatedly Deported Sex Offender
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is requesting custody of a man who has been deported twice and is now accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl at a TJ Maxx store in Long Island, New York.
On Tuesday, ICE officials filed for the detention of Jimmy Harry Velazquez Gomez, a Honduran national. He has a history of being deported from the U.S. twice, has a conviction for child molestation, and is currently facing charges for child cruelty and misdemeanor lewd conduct.
Long Island Police have reported that Velazquez-Gomez frequently visited a TJ Maxx in Medford, New York, where three separate incidents of child molestation occurred, according to an ICE announcement:
In one instance, a 7-year-old girl asked her mother if she could explore the toy aisle, and while there, Velazquez-Gomez allegedly approached her and touched her buttocks.
Another case involved an 11-year-old girl who was looking for a gift while with her parents. She noticed the man behaving inappropriately, holding his genitals over his clothing. Moments later, he reportedly walked by her and grabbed her buttocks.
A 9-year-old girl, also shopping with her mother, was in the toy aisle when Velazquez-Gomez allegedly approached her, lifted the hem of her sweatshirt, and squeezed her buttocks.
Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security expressed disgust over the testimonies of these young victims, stating, “This serial child molester stole the innocence of these children and terrorized their families.”
Velazquez-Gomez first entered the U.S. illegally near Cotula, Texas, in April 2005 and was deported back to Honduras the following month. He crossed the border again in 2019, only to be deported once more.
Shortly after his second deportation, he illegally re-entered the U.S. for the third time as a fugitive.
“Considering his illegal immigration status and recent arrest for child sex crimes, ICE has obtained an arrest warrant to ensure he is not released back into the community, where he could endanger more children,” McLaughlin remarked. “We will take necessary steps to protect innocent kids.”
