Employee accused of sexually abusing immigrant child

An employee at a shelter for immigrant children in Phoenix was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl housed at the facility, according to court records in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Fernando Magaz Negrete, a 32-year-old employee of federal contractor Southwest Key Programs, is accused of slipping into the girl’s room at night and forcibly kissing and inappropriately touching her, according to court documents. He was arrested and charged Tuesday with molestation of a child, sexual abuse and aggravated assault.

A spokesman for Southwest Key Programs said the employee has been terminated.

“When a child tells us of inappropriate behavior, we immediately call law enforcement and start an internal Negrete investigation as appropriate,” the spokesman, Jeff Eller, said in a statement. “That’s what happened in this case. Southwest Key always works with law enforcement to bring the full force of the law to bear when it is warranted.”

The statement did not address questions about whether the girl was an immigrant previously separated from her parents at the border, but The Arizona Republic reported that the specific facility where she was held is intended to house separated children. Police documents in Magaz Negrete’s case describe it as a “juvenile facility for refugee children.”

First lady Melania Trump, in fact, visited this same facility in June, Phoenix’s ABC15 reported.

According to a probable cause statement, a teenage girl sharing the room with the 14-year-old victim witnessed the alleged June 27 incident and reported it July 25.

The two teenage witnesses sharing the bedroom with her told authorities they observed Magaz Negrete touching the 14-year-old’s breasts and crotch over her clothes.

Surveillance footage captured Magaz Negrete approaching the girls’ bedroom several times between 9 and 10:30 on the night of June 27, according to the probable cause statement. The girls’ doorway and bedroom were out of the camera’s view.

Police said Magaz Negrete admitted to kissing the girl and touching her vagina over her clothing.

Magaz Negrete is being held on $150,000 bond.