Employees at two migrant shelters in Arizona, including one
visited by First Lady Melania Trump, have been charged with abusing children who were separated from their families.
Fernando Magaz Negrete, 32, is accused of aggravated assault on a minor, molestation of a child and sexual abuse, according to
court records in Maricopa County. He allegedly abused a 14-year-old girl at a detention facility in Phoenix.
Levian D. Pacheco, 25, is facing 12 counts in federal court. According to a
third superseding indictment, he abused nine boys at a facility in Mesa.
Both shelters are managed by the same company, known as
Southwest Key Programs. The First Lady visited the Phoenix facility on June 28 -- a day after the girl was allegedly abused.
"Our number one priority at Southwest Key Programs is to keep the children in our care safe. We have built a thorough infrastructure of both preventative and responsive measures in order to ensure their safety," the company said in an August 2 statement, issued after Negrete's case was reported in the media.
That same day, Southwest Key issued a
second statement, this one about the victims in Mesa. The firm characterized its response as speedy even though the
superseding indictment and a
criminal complaint alleged Pacheco started abusing boys as far back as May 2016 and continued through late July of 2017.
"Any employee accused of abuse is immediately suspended and law enforcement called. This is what we did in this case," the statement read. According to news reports, Pacheco potentially exposed his victims to HIV.
The center in Mesa is called "Casa Kokopelli." The Kokopelli name was appropriated from a
venerated figure found among several Southwest tribal cultures.
Southwest Key manages the shelters under
contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the
Indian Health Service.
President Donald Trump halted his administration's "zero tolerance" policy, which forced the separation of families at the U.S. border, in June after facing widespread criticism.
Read More on the Story:
Southwest Key employee in Phoenix accused of sexually abusing 14-year-old migrant girl
(The Arizona Republic August 1, 2018)
Phoenix Southwest Key staff member accused of touching minor, police say
(ABC15 Arizona August 1, 2018)
Worker Charged With Sexually Molesting Eight Children at Immigrant Shelter
(ProPublica August 1, 2018)
Employee at Phoenix migrant children’s shelter charged with sexual abuse of 14-year-old girl
(The Washington Post August 2, 2018)
2 Workers at Arizona Migrant Children Centers Are Charged With Sexual Abuse
(The New York Times August 3, 2018)
Restraint Chairs and Spit Masks: Migrant Detainees Claim Abuse at Detention Centers
(The New York Times August 4, 2018)
Arizona migrant shelter worker accused of sexually abusing 8 teenage boys
(CNN August 4, 2018)
'Horrific' sexual abuse allegations prompt question: Who keeps migrant children safe?
(The Arizona Republic August 6, 2018)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
'We
care for these kids': Protesters hit Melania Trump on visit to migrant
shelter (June 29, 2018)
