Bar served as site to prostitute 15-year-old Nicaraguan girl

March 18^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) A bar in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Heredia, served as a site for prostituting a 15-year-old Nicaraguan girl, and others, for 10,000 colones (about $20).

Two women, also Nicaraguan nationals, were arrested on Friday night at the “Alisan” bar for allegedly exploiting several victims.

Human trafficking agents from the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) arrested the suspects, who are 30 and 33 years old.  Seven children and an adult were rescued from the bar.

The suspects allegedly brought the 15-year-old girl from Nicaragua by tricking her into believing that she would be working as a nanny.

However, she was forced to have sex with customers at the bar and to consume drugs.

Friday’s 9:30pm raid of the bar found six more children, one of which was working as a waitress, while another was found in one of the rooms with a client.  Marijuana and cocaine were also seized from the bar.

Agents also rescued a 28-year-old Nicaraguan that was brought to the country through deception.  She was told she would work as a waitress, but her identity documents were taken from her and she was forced to prostitute herself.

Fanny Cordero from the press office of the National Institute for Children (PANI) said that the children were three siblings between 10 and 13 years of age, and four teenagers between 14 and 17 years of age.

The three siblings are apparently the children of one of the women arrested.

The children were taken to shelters in Heredia and Montes de Oca.