A former New York chemistry professor has been arrested and charged in connection with the rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse of multiple women allegedly smuggled into the United States from El Salvador.
Jorge Alberto Ramos, 43, who is originally from El Salvador, was arrested on Aug. 3, according to the Department of Justice.
He was charged with two counts of inducement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity, two counts of transportation to engage in unlawful sexual activity, one count of conspiracy to engage in human smuggling, one count of human smuggling, and one count of harboring an alien.
If convicted, he could face decades behind bars.
The Epoch Times has contacted Mr. Ramos’ attorney for further comment.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Ramos carried out a scheme from at least 2013 to 2023 to groom three women into coming to the Bronx, New York, with the promise of a “better life, including educational and other opportunities.”
Victims Were Sent ‘Gifts, Money’
Court documents state that Mr. Ramos, a former adjunct chemistry professor at City College of New York, persuaded the victims to leave El Salvador and move to New York by “expressing concern for them and their families and by sending them gifts and money.”He also allegedly arranged for each of the victims to be smuggled from El Salvador into the United States, including paying smugglers thousands of dollars to have the women transported across the U.S. border, prosecutors said.
However, once the women arrived, he raped, sexually assaulted, and abused them at his residence, prosecutors said, including forcing them to engage in “unlawful sex acts with him on demand.”
According to an indictment, Mr. Ramos abused one of the victims, who was aged 25, between 2013 and 2014 on at least three occasions after luring her to the United States under the false pretense that they were in a romantic relationship.
Mr. Ramos raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused another of the victims, who was aged 27, around 2016 after bringing her to his residence, and “continued to do so for several weeks” until she eventually fled, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the victim was initially stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and held in CBP custody for approximately two months before Mr. Ramos paid $4,000 for them to be released from CBP custody.
The third victim, who was 18, was raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually abused by Mr. Ramos on the first day he bought her back to his residence in 2017, according to prosecutors, who said he continued to assault the victim for approximately one month until she, too, was able to flee.
‘Deplorable Acts’ of Violence
“While the victims stayed at the Ramos Residence, Ramos attempted to control the victims by, among other things, ordering the victims to stay inside the Ramos residence, attempting to isolate the victims from other people, and threatening to report the victims to immigration officials for deportation back to El Salvador,” prosecutors said.“This indictment sends a strong message that Homeland Security Investigations is committed to bringing predators who engage in deplorable acts of sexual, physical, and psychological violence against other individuals to justice,” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said in a statement announcing the charges against Mr. Ramos.
“As alleged, Jorge Alberto Ramos induced several women into traveling to the United States where he subjected them to repeated rape and sexual abuse at his hands,” Mr. Arvelo continued. “HSI New York, along with our partners at the New York City Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, will continue to uphold our mission to ensure our communities are safe for residents and visitors alike.”
A spokesperson for City College of New York told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that Mr. Ramos has not been employed by the college since 2009.
However the spokesperson did not provide further details regarding the exact date he left or the reasoning for his departure.
