Warning: Sensitive Content: This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse. In Odessa, Texas, a Cuban couple faces serious criminal charges following a police investigation that uncovered allegations of them sexually assaulting their one-year-old daughter and sharing a video of the abuse with a relative, according to authorities.
The accused, identified as Leiwin Lara Hernández, 23, and Cleyret Pacheco Peraza, 22, both natives of Cuba, were apprehended in early January. They are charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, possession of child pornography, and the promotion of child pornography, all classified as felony offenses, stated the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in a release.
Since their arrest on January 3, the suspects have been held at the Ector County Law Enforcement Center. They face an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer and a combined bond set at $180,000, as reported by local media.
According to DPS reports from the previous month, on December 27, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a pornographic media file to the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after receiving a tip from TikTok, as reported by the Odessa American news outlet. A special agent from the DPS Criminal Investigation Division responded to HSI's request for assistance.
Authorities confirmed that the media file contained explicit material involving the young child. A collaborative investigation by the DPS, HSI, and Odessa Police Department linked the email account associated with the TikTok profile to Pacheco Peraza.
Through this email, investigators discovered the woman's Facebook profile, identifying both her and Lara Hernández as suspects after viewing photos of the couple with their daughter celebrating her first birthday on the social media platform.
Arrest documents reveal that during questioning, Pacheco Peraza admitted to performing oral sex on the child approximately 50 times. She also confessed to recording Lara Hernández as he assaulted the infant sexually in their former apartment on Harless Avenue in Odessa and sending the video to her mother in Russia.
The seized media file shows Lara Hernández performing oral sex on the baby, according to the police report.
Social media profiles of the detainees indicate they are from the province of Pinar del Río, Cuba, and arrived in the United States less than two years ago.
The Texas Department of Public Safety emphasized that as a result of the investigation, the infant victim was rescued from the sexual assault.
The arrest of this Cuban couple was part of a larger operation in which over twenty individuals were detained in West Texas during January. These operations targeted human trafficking and were conducted by the DPS in collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.
Key Questions on the Texas Child Assault Case
What charges are the Cuban couple facing in Texas?
The couple is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, possession of child pornography, and promotion of child pornography, all serious felony charges.
How did authorities discover the alleged crimes?
Authorities were alerted following a tip from TikTok, which led to the discovery of a pornographic media file involving the child, forwarded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to Homeland Security Investigations.
What is the current status of the alleged perpetrators?
They are being held at the Ector County Law Enforcement Center with an ICE detainer and a total bond of $180,000.