Costa Rica’s Migration Police raided a house and arrested a couple, allegedly from the United States, accused of trafficking for sexual exploitation. According to the Migration Police, last May, the Security Department of the U.S. Embassy provided information, and on Thursday, they proceeded with the arrest of the suspects.
“Thanks to the information provided by the U.S. State Department, we were able to arrest two individuals engaged in this illicit activity. Three potential victims were located at the site,” said Omer Badilla, Vice Minister of Government and Director General of Immigration. Badilla explained that the victims were approached by the detainees and offered opportunities to get involved in natural and religious experiences in Costa Rica. Apparently, the victims were suffering from depression.
U.S. authorities were alerted by a woman, who appears to be another victim, and who claims she was sexually exploited and held on a farm located in Barú de Pérez Zeledón, in what seemed to be a “spiritual cult.” “The victim detailed a series of activities to which the women at the site were forced, including online sex. They were also compelled to wear dog collars, physically abused, and subjected to other illicit activities,” reported the Police.
The woman was recruited through the X platform (formerly Twitter) by the suspect, who offered her the chance to join a “mysterious school” that connected people spiritually with nature. The trip reportedly took place on March 19, 2019. Upon arrival in Costa Rica, she was taken to Tinamaste de Pérez Zeledón, where the couple was waiting for her. There, she was stripped of her travel documents and left under the full control of the couple.
“The victim expressed that she was forced to create sexual content for adults, where her videos were uploaded to a platform of which she does not know the name, while the proceeds were transferred to the accounts of the accused,” added Migration authorities. Police confirmed that the woman managed to escape the site and filed a complaint that led to the arrest of a man whose last name is Haag, also known as Dale Williams, and his partner, a woman whose last name is Gorman.
