Illegal Immigrant Charged in Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minor

An illegal alien in Wyoming is in a local jail on charges of allegedly molesting a pre-teen girl. An exam by a sexual assault nurse reportedly confirms injury to the child.

Police in Casper, Wyoming, arrested Hugo Mendoza-Cora, 36, and charged him with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor (a third-degree felony). District Attorney Michael Blonigen’s office requested a $100,000 bond be set because of the nature of the offense and the fact that the suspect is an “undocumented immigrant.” After Mendoza-Cora complained that the bond was “a lot of money,” Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Steen Brown set a much lower bond of $50,000, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. Circuit court judges in Wyoming are appointed by the governor and then stand for retention elections at the end of their six-year terms. Brown won his retention election in November 2016, Ballotpedia reports.

Law enforcement officers notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials after learning Mendoza-Cora is allegedly in the country illegally, K2radio.com’s Nick Learned reported.

The parents of the young girl contacted school officials after she told them about the alleged molestation. School officials immediately notified police who started an investigation.

The girl, born in 2005, told police that Mendoza-Cora touched her genitals and made her touch his. She said he would come into her room at night. She claimed the assaults occurred on multiple occasions over the course of a year..

The girl told the investigators she would wear zip-up pajamas to make it more difficult for him to assault her.

Police brought the suspect in for questioning and he said he did not know why there were allegations of sexual abuse and he never hurt or touched the girl, the local newspaper reported.

Court records show that Mendoza-Cora is a relative of the victim. He has been ordered by the judge to have no further contact with the victim. He is listed as being the owner of H&M Mendoza Painting company.

If convicted on the charges, he could face up to 15 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.