Illegal immigrant faces child molestation charges...

Undocumented worker faces child molestation charges


05:39 PM EDT on Monday, March 17, 2008
Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - A man accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl faced an Oldham county judge. Jorge Avila, 21, is charged with two counts of child molestation for a crime that dates back to 2005. He was arraigned in court on those charges Monday.

This investigation spanned across two states and two years. The alleged victim was 7-years-old when she first accused her mother’s boyfriend of molesting her back in 2005 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. But she withdrew her claim shortly after. But now new evidence has put Jorge Avila behind bars.

“After a year and a half, two years, it came to be that she had some type of venereal disease she had come into contact with,” says Det. Charlie Thompson, who leads the investigation in the Jeffersonville police department.

Police say Avila threatened the girl, and she took back her claims of abuse. But when her disease came to light and a further examination showed signs of physical abuse, police got involved again. Jeffersonville police tracked Avila to a house in La Grange, Kentucky with the help of the child’s mother and La Grange police.

“We knew if we went to the house with a warrant and missed him, the chances of us getting our hands on him were going to be slim,” says Det. Thompson.

And that’s because Avila is an undocumented alien in the United States. He goes by several different names. He’s been charged in La Grange with false documentation and trafficking marijuana.

He was deported back to Mexico in 2005 but re-entered the US illegally.

“Quite a few Hispanics live here,” explains Det. Thompson. “Unfortunately, a lot do use aliases and different names and it makes it difficult for us to find them. This time we got lucky, we got a break... now we’re going to do what we can to bring this man to justice.”

Avila waved his right to an extradition hearing in Oldham county district court today, which means he will soon be extradited back to Indiana on those charges. Child molestation is a Class-A felony in Indiana. Avila could face up to 60 years in prison on those charges.



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