Accusations Against Ecuadorian Immigrant in Chicago
An Ecuadorian immigrant is facing serious charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl from Chicago, whom he met online, according to recent reports.
Prosecutors say that 22-year-old Henry Lema exploited the young girl, referring to her as his “girlfriend” while the incident occurred in his home.
Authorities launched an investigation after the girl’s parents reported her missing on December 23. They were worried because they couldn’t reach her by phone and discovered she was found outside her home on West Crystal Street. By tracking her cellphone, they traced it back to Lema’s address.
Eventually, the girl did answer her phone and came outside.
Arriving officers noted a hickey on her neck and detained Lema. In a detention application, it’s reported that he provided a false date of birth, claiming to be just 16 years old, but police confirmed he is actually 22.
The girl revealed that she met Lema on Instagram and had informed him of her age, while he falsely claimed to be 15. After they began chatting on WhatsApp, Lema allegedly visited her several times outside her home.
He reportedly took her to his residence, assuring her that nothing inappropriate would occur. However, she accused him of sexually assaulting her and restraining her as she tried to flee.
According to prosecutors, on December 23, Lema again assured her that nothing would happen, yet when she arrived at his place, he assaulted her again, leaving visible marks on her neck. The girl stated she only learned Lema’s real age once the police got involved.
Lema has acknowledged meeting the girl online and admitted to knowing she was underage, claiming they had sex two times.
This incident raises concerns regarding child safety on platforms like Instagram, which have been criticized for harboring predators. A 2023 report indicated that former employees highlighted how the platform was exploited by child predators, with one ex-executive mentioning the scale of the issue as much worse than anticipated.
In a subsequent investigation, researchers found that Instagram exposes children to sexually suggestive content almost immediately after they create an account.
Additionally, it was reported that Instagram’s algorithms could lead children to follow groomers and predators, a revelation stemming from internal documents shared during an antitrust trial against Meta.
The authorities have charged Lema with sexual assault and kidnapping involving a victim under the age of 13.
