A court in Ecuador sentenced José Luis O. to 13 years in prison for forcing a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in Machala. The case came to light during a police operation on December 19, 2024, at a brothel run by the convict. Investigations showed the victim had lived with him since age 14 and they share a child.
On December 19, 2024, police officers conducted a control operation at a brothel in Machala, capital of El Oro province, bordering Peru. José Luis O. managed the establishment and was identified as the person prostituting a 17-year-old minor there.
During the raid, the teenager presented a fake ID belonging to an adult woman, alerting the officers. Police detained him on the spot and brought him before judicial authorities.
Ecuador's Prosecutor's Office investigations established that the victim had lived with the man since she was 14 years old and that they have a child together. Analysis of phone conversations showed he forced her into prostitution, set the amount she had to charge, and scolded her when she did not attend the brothel.
For these actions, a court sentenced José Luis O. to 13 years in prison this Tuesday for the crime of forced prostitution. This case adds to others in the country, such as that of Diego Santiago C., prosecuted in 2023 for sexually abusing his eight-year-old niece, where threats and intimidation were proven.