A Portuguese man, identified as Fernando José de Jesus Ferreira, is in preventive detention in the Dominican Republic, after being arrested by the local police for kidnapping and pimping (incentivizing prostitution) of four girls, all minors. The suspect, and a Dominican woman also arrested, are said to have chosen and lured the minors in a small town in the north of that Caribbean country, then taken them to a house owned by the Portuguese man, where they were forced into prostitution.
The couple are serving a three-month pre-trial detention period, after which the coercive measure will be assessed. The investigation was initiated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of that country, following evidence collected in the area, in the east of the Dominican Republic, where Fernando Ferreira’s house is located. According to the local press, it is a tourist area. The four minors were forced by the accused couple to receive foreign clients, with whom they had sexual relations in exchange for money. The investigation found that the victims were restricted in their movements, and that one of them even asked to leave the Portuguese man’s house. She was prevented from doing so, with the couple assuring her that she would only leave if she paid a sum of money.
According to the investigation, the minors received a small percentage of the money paid by the clients, and even had to pay fines if they were late for sexual encounters.
Source: www.cmjornal.pt
