A 42-year-old female religious studies teacher, Lizamarie Rivera-García, has been apprehended on allegations of sex trafficking involving two male students aged 15 and 17. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico reported that Rivera-García was taken into custody on Monday, accused of luring, transporting, and exploiting the boys for commercial sex acts.
The arrest was made by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) following an indictment by a grand jury on multiple sex-trafficking charges. If found guilty, Rivera-García could face a minimum of 50 years to a maximum of life imprisonment.
Rebecca C. Gonzalez-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s special agent in charge, expressed her dismay at the situation. She highlighted the irony of a religious teacher, entrusted with guiding children on principles and beliefs, being implicated in such a heinous crime. Gonzalez-Ramos emphasized the need for vigilance, noting that children are being sexually exploited by individuals in positions of public trust.
Rivera-García, a resident of Bayamón, a city near San Juan, is alleged to have trafficked the 15-year-old from December 2023 to October 2024 and the 17-year-old from December 2023 to November 2024. No additional information was provided, including whether the victims were her students.
W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, condemned the alleged actions, stating that the sexual exploitation of children strips them of their freedom, dignity, and sense of security. He added that such behavior is unacceptable in society.
Gonzalez-Ramos assured that the victims would receive the necessary assistance to help them overcome their trauma. The case is set to be prosecuted by an assistant attorney from the DHS’s Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit.