US man accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Escazú

Authorities in Costa Rica arrested a 57-year-old man from the United States on Saturday, accusing him of sexually assaulting a minor last July. Agents from the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) arrested the suspect, whose last name is Ehsan, Saturday afternoon at Juan Santamaría International Airport, outside San José, as he attempted to depart Costa Rica on a flight to the U.S.

A news release from OIJ said the man regularly contacted women online and arranged for them to visit his home in Escazú, a suburb southwest of the capital, where he paid them for sex. The OIJ release said the suspect allegedly met the victim online last July, brought her to his home and raped her after she refused his solicitation.

Authorities said the suspect works in the U.S. and vacations at his Escazú residence. Police searched the home Sunday morning and found “important evidence for the investigation,” the OIJ statement said.

The OIJ news release did not specify the age of the minor.