OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A San Diego County couple has been charged with dozens of counts of sexual abuse against a 12-year-old girl who prosecutors say they lured from Mexico to the U.S. promising a better life.
UT San Diego (http://bit.ly/VsuSFM ) says 43-year-old Inez Martinez Garcia and her 45-year-old husband Marcial Garcia Hernandez were each charged Monday with 26 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and had their bail set at $2 million apiece.
They appeared in court but did not enter pleas, saying they were seeking private counsel. An arraignment was scheduled for Dec. 18.
The Sheriff's Department says the arrest followed a 2 ½-year investigation. The girl, now an adult, says she was beaten, forced to do housework, care for the couple's children, have sex with the husband and eventually forced into prostitution.
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Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com
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