Guatemalan national charged with child molestation in Indiana, held on ICE detainer

A Guatemalan national living in La Porte County, Indiana, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of child molestation involving a 12-year-old girl. An ICE detainer was placed on the suspect after his arrest.

40-year-old Juan Francisco was taken into custody early Tuesday morning after deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a sexual assault involving a family member at a residence around 12:40 am. Authorities found Francisco at the scene in a back bedroom and, after assessing the situation, found probable cause to declare him the suspect. Law enforcement then transported him to the La Porte County Jail.

After being taken to jail, Francisco was held without bond on a 48-hour hold pending further investigation, according to a report by FOX32 Chicago. Francisco has since been formally charged in La Porte County Circuit Court with two charges: one count of Level 1 felony child molestation and one count of Level 4 felony child molestation.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Francisco has been residing in the United States illegally and is a citizen of Guatemala. La Porte County Police notified US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to which officials then placed a detainer on him.

Francisco has a July 25 Circuit Court date for his charges. The investigation involved state agencies, including the Indiana Department of Child Services and the Dunebrook Child Advocacy Center.