The Justice Department accuses German citizen Alfred Michael Buttner of trafficking and exploitation of minors. He lured his victims via Facebook and then together with others persons provided these with drugs for sexual exploitation, as reported in El Dia. The German was arrested on Tuesday, 1 May 2018 in Santiago as a suspect in the case of three teenagers, 15, 13 and 12 year olds, from La Unión, in Sosúa, Puerto Plata whose parents had reported missing.
The girls were promised RD$1,000 and the fare to Santiago. Afterwards, the girls were taken to a shopping mall where reportedly they offered their sexual services. According to the case file, Buttner had coordinated with one of the teenagers, of 15 years, so that the other two would visit him at his residence at Calle 4, in Residencial El Doral, Puerto Plata.
The girls had been reported missing on 22 April 2018. After 11 days of leaving their homes in Puerto Plata, the girls were able to escape from a house under construction in Hoyo de Gurabito where they were kept under the watch of Lenny José Cabrera García, who is sought by the Police. The girls then contacted their parents who alerted the Police.
Puerto Plata judge Pascuala Valenzuela ordered three months preventive custody to Buttner. The authorities suspect Buttner heads a ring for trafficking in children. Buttner will serve the sentence at the Centro Correccional de Rehabilitación de San Felipe in Puerto Plata. He faces a ruling for 20 years in jail.
The Justice Department says that after a search of Buttner’s house in Puerto Plata, they occupied computers, mobile phones with evidence of chats with the children. They also verified he used the identity of Michael Sanchez on Facebook.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
Puerto Plata Digital
YouTube
3 May 2018
