Woman Convicted of Sexual Battery of a Child Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bolivian woman who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child family member was sentenced today to more than a year in prison for illegally reentering the United States.

“This case is yet another example of an individual who is here in the United States illegally and committing serious crimes,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Not only did Siles reenter this country illegally, but she used her time here to sexually abuse a vulnerable child. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these criminal immigration cases, especially those with defendants like Siles that pose a significant threat to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lourdes Terrazas Siles, 39, is a native and citizen of Bolivia. Terrazas Siles was previously removed from the United States in 2000, after she attempted to enter the United States with a fraudulent passport. Sometime thereafter, Terrazas Siles reentered the United States without permission to do so. She was found in the United States in August 2016, when she was arrested for felony aggravated sexual battery by a parent, step-parent, grandparent, or step-grandparent of a victim at least 13 but less than 18 years of age. She was convicted in Virginia on aggravated sexual battery charges in June 2017.

“This woman attempted to thwart our immigration laws first by entering illegally and again by returning after she was removed,” said Lyle Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). “Her choice to return was not only a crime in itself, it gave her the opportunity to victimize the child she was meant to care for.”

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh prosecuted the case. This case was previously handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kraft.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-127.