More than 30 men are investigated for sexual exploitation of minors in Uruguay, in a historical case in the country due to the number of people involved, among which there are businessmen, merchants, politicians and even a former judge.
The investigation, called Operation Ocean, reached days ago 32 defendants for “retribution or promise of retribution” to minors in exchange for sexual acts.
The case started in March, when the body of a 17-year-old adolescent was discovered next to a stream in the department of Canelones, east of Montevideo. When investigating the death, the Police found that the victim had reported a man for sexual exploitation. When they tested his cell phone, they found messages from several men offering him money and gifts in exchange for sex.
From there, a skein began to unravel that revealed how dozens of men contacted the same teenager and her friends, all minors, for the same purpose.
As published this Thursday by the local newspaper The countryOne of them told the prosecutor of the case, Darviña Viera, that the vast majority of the men who frequented the girls paid between 100 and 300 dollars for erotic acts or photographs.
In addition, they received gifts such as items of lingerie or hair extensions, among others, according to the newspaper.
Among the accused are a former juvenile judge, a former deputy and the owner of a bar in Punta del Este, as well as businessmen, merchants and teachers. An Argentine and a Brazilian are also required by the courts, local media say.
The defendants are subject to the precautionary measure of setting a domicile for 180 days and the prohibition of approaching the victims or maintaining any contact with them.
Neither can they exercise public and private functions in the educational, health and all those areas that involve direct dealing with minors.
The defendants are now waiting for the prosecutor’s office conducting the investigation to accuse them or to dismiss taking the case to trial, which may still take several months.
The crime of sexual exploitation of minors in Uruguay carries a penalty of between two and 12 years in prison.
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