Illegal migrant arrested for alleged sexual assault of 14-year-old Colorado girl

GOLDEN, Colo. (TNND) — A Colorado sheriff’s office announced last week the arrest of an illegal Venezuelan migrant for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release it took 20-year-old Jesus Alberto Pereira Castillo into custody in Denver on Tuesday. Castillo allegedly forced himself onto the girl, who was the daughter of his employer, in August.

Castillo had been staying in the basement of his employer’s Jefferson County home, according to the sheriff’s office.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to The National News Desk (TNND) Castillo is a citizen of Venezuela and illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas in September 2023. ICE issued an immigration detainer the same day as Castillo's arrest, according to the spokesperson.

There have been more than 140 reported cases of non-consensual sexual offenses in Jefferson County this year, according to state data. Sixty-eight of those crimes involved victims between the ages of 10 and 17 years old, the data shows.

In September, Colorado's Office of Research and Statistics released a report that found a 15% decrease in non-consensual sex crimes between 2023 Q2 and 2024 Q2. Gov. Jared Polis promoted the findings on social media, but noted there was more work needed to achieve the state’s goal of making it one of the ten safest in the country.

“Every Coloradan deserves the opportunity to live in a safe and healthy community,” he wrote on X. “By cracking down on crime and giving law enforcement and community organizations the support needed to protect our communities, we are helping keep people, property, and our communities safe across Colorado.”