Bonita Springs man arrested in alleged sex slavery case

Detectives say Juan Gomez Domingo, 23, rescued his young wife from slavery in Homestead only to prostitute her in "various brothels" in Bonita Springs.

He was charged with human trafficking, a second degree felony. His bond was set at $1 million.

Authorities learned of the case when the victim, a juvenile whose name and age were not provided in the report, gave birth to her second child at HealthPark Hospital on Nov. 12. Detectives following up on the case approached the victim and Domingo at their Sherwood Lane home in Bonita Springs.

The girl eventually told deputies she was smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico three years ago. For five months while working at a nursery in Homestead, the victim was traded amongst three managers for sex, she told detectives. The men had told her she owed them for being smuggled into the country, she said.

Domingo, who, according to the report, was aware of the girl's situation and came from the same home country and village, took the victim to Bonita Springs, and, with permission from the girl's mother, married her.

Yet, things became more complicated with the move, according to the report.

Domingo's roommate, who was unnamed in the report, knew one of the nursery managers from Homestead and began arranging forced sexual meetings between the girl and the manager in exchange for money, the report said.

When the girl became pregnant, the roommate took off, the report continued.

Domingo, upon learning of the child's birth, began abusing the victim physically and emotionally, the report stated.

"He threatened to kick her and her child out of the residence if she did not perform acts of prostitution in order to assist in paying the rent," Detective Michael Zaleski wrote in his report.

Domingo began sending his wife to several intermediaries who delivered the girl to brothels in the area, according to the report.

A second-degree felony carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott released a prepared statement lauding the collective effort in Domingo's arrest.

"...I could not be more proud of Lee Memorial Health Systems and Catholic Charities of Florida for recognizing the initial indicators," he wrote.

Earlier this year, Scott was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a state task force on human trafficking.