U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer for Jimmy Harry Velasquez Gomez, a Honduran national previously deported twice from the United States. Velasquez Gomez, who was convicted of indecent exposure in 2018, now faces charges including cruelty toward a child and lewd or lascivious acts with a minor.
Local law enforcement in Medford, New York, identified Velasquez Gomez through surveillance footage at a TJ Maxx store. According to investigators, he was seen on camera groping several young girls between the ages of 7 and 11 and touching his genitals inside the store over several months. In three separate incidents recorded by the store's cameras, Velasquez Gomez allegedly touched and squeezed the buttocks of child victims when they briefly separated from their parents.
The reported incidents include a 7-year-old girl who was approached in the toy aisle after her mother gave her permission to look around; an 11-year-old girl who observed a man holding his genitals before he allegedly grabbed her as she walked by; and a 9-year-old girl whose sweatshirt was pulled up before she was reportedly assaulted while shopping with her mother.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “The accounts of these child victims are sickening-- this serial child molester stole the innocence of his child victims and terrorized families. This is exactly who we mean when we say we’re targeting the WORST OF THE WORST criminal illegal aliens terrorizing our communities. President Trump’s administration removed this pedophile in 2019. Following his illegal reentry into the country and recent arrest for sex crimes against children, ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure he is never released onto American streets to prey on more innocent children. Secretary Noem will not allow pedophiles to victimize innocent children.”
Velasquez Gomez first entered U.S. Border Patrol custody near Cotulla, Texas in April 2005 and was removed from the country on May 12 that year. He illegally reentered and was again removed in 2019 during President Trump's administration. Authorities allege he committed another felony by entering the U.S. for a third time at an unknown location.
The Department of Homeland Security says its law enforcement agencies remain focused on protecting communities from similar incidents nationwide. Victims of crimes involving illegal aliens can seek support from the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office by calling 1-855-488-6423.
