An illegal migrant from El Salvador charged with molesting young girls March 11 was deported from the U.S. twice before the alleged molestations, New York Post reported.
Ervin Jeovany Alfaro-Lopez, 33, faces allegations of sexual misconduct. He was charged with molesting four young girls while serving as a teacher at a church just outside Washington, D.C., Alfaro-Lopez’s criminal history and immigration status have ignited a fiery debate on policy and protection, according to the New York Post. Authorities have levied 25 counts of sexual misconduct against Alfaro-Lopez, with accusations dating back to 2014.
The alleged incidents occurred at the Elim Misión Cristiana church in Maryland, where Alfaro-Lopez worked as an instructor and educational coordinator. Reports suggest that the abuse took place during prayer times, exploiting the victims’ vulnerability, the outlet reported.
Migrant church worker accused of molesting girls as young as 6 snuck back into US twice after being deported https://t.co/STvdToIrrU pic.twitter.com/Izr2cYfvBb
— New York Post (@nypost) March 18, 2024
Alfaro-Lopez’s problems with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) make his situation more complex, the New York Times stated. He first entered the U.S. without permission and was deported in 2015 and 2020 but came back illegally each time. After his latest arrest, he is being held without bond. ICE plans to take him into custody after his trial if he is convicted. (RELATED: ICE Confirms It Finally Nabbed Terrorist Allowed To Roam Free For Almost A Year)
The Montgomery County Police Department faced strong criticism for letting Alfaro-Lopez go in August 2023, even though ICE wanted to detain him. Darius Reeves, the ERO Baltimore Field Office Director, expressed frustration over the situation.
“This is a perfect example of the level of criminality … when folks are recycled back into communities and jurisdictions are not honoring our detainers, very tragic story here,” Reeves said in a statement to FOX 5 DC. “Counties cannot continuously recycle gang members with guns, child molesters, rapists, accessory to murders, you cannot continuously allow that to happen. Please stop recycling these egregious offenders back into your communities and to not honor an ice detainer in my opinion is an obstruction of federal law enforcement efforts.”