ICE arrests Guatemalan man accused of sex crimes against child, says Boston court ignored detainer
Sostenes Perez-Lopez, 59, who is in the United States illegally, is charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child. Federal officers arrested him in Brighton on Feb. 18, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement on Tuesday.
ICE served Perez-Lopez with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge following his arrest. He remains in ICE custody.
'Sostenes Perez-Lopez stands accused of some horrific crimes against a child in Massachusetts,' ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said in a statement. 'We will not tolerate the victimization of our residents at the hands of alien offenders. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing illegally present lawbreakers.'
ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Perez-Lopez with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, Nashua Street Jail on Nov. 28, 2024, after his arrest for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, Hyde said. He was arraigned on the charges in Boston Municipal Court in Brighton on Nov. 29, 2024.
Following his arraignment, the court ordered Perez-Lopez committed to the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department in lieu of posting bail in the amount of $8,000.
The Boston Municipal Court ignored the ICE detainer and released Perez-Lopez on bail on Dec. 12, 2024, Hyde said. The court fitted Perez-Lopez with GPS to include special conditions pending the outcome of his case.
Massachusetts court officials do not have the authority to hold an individual in custody solely on the basis of a Federal Civil Immigration Detainer, Massachusetts Trial Courts spokesperson Erika Gully-Santiago said in a statement on Wednesday.
'In order to comply with Massachusetts law, court officers are prohibited from assisting or interfering with ICE agents in executing their obligations under federal law. That means that a court officer will not interfere with ICE arresting an individual who has been released,' Gully-Santiago said. 'On the other hand, court officers are prohibited from keeping a released individual in custody awaiting an ICE agent.'
Perez illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected by a U.S. immigration official, Hyde said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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