Alleged sex trafficker in provisional detention

Judge of guarantees Josefa Monfante imposed a precautionary measure of provisional detention on Colombian citizen Jhonatan Ocampo, for his alleged link to a network trafficking women for sexual exploitation that operated in Paitilla and via Argentina.

At a hearing yesterday, Tuesday, Monfante took into account the allegations of the prosecution regarding the risk of escape and destruction of evidence by the person under investigation and ordered the arrest.

The prosecutor against Organized Crime, Miguel Tuñón, said that they established that Ocampo was in charge of monitoring the group of six women rescued on Sunday, August 14, after an operation by the National Police.

In his plea, Tuñón explained that the young women were taken to various locations in the metropolitan area and beach hotels to have sex in exchange for money.

He also reported that the victims entered Panama from Colombia and were kept under observation at all times to prevent them from contacting the authorities.

Defense attorney, Vidal Pérez Herrera, said that the charges against his client are unfounded since he only sublet the young women a space to live in an apartment that he had rented.

Pérez Herrera said that the young women denied that they were being held by force and without freedom of movement.