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Child Writes to Santa, Asks for Molestation to End Tuesday, December 16, 2008 AP/Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office PHARR, Texas - A 9-year-old girl's letter to Santa Claus asking that a relative stop touching her and her sister has led to the arrest of a 55-year-old Pharr man on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, according to a newspaper report. Andres Enrique Cantu, 55, of Pharr, remained in the Hidalgo County Jail Monday night after his arrest Friday. His bond was set at $100,000. It wasn't immediately clear if Cantu had an attorney. The girl wrote the letter Thursday and turned it in at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, The (McAllen) Monitor reported. It wasn't clear whether the letter was for a school assignment. Read a copy of the police complaint at the Smoking Gun. A probable cause complaint said a counselor at the school reported that the student turned in a wish list to Santa asking that the relative stop touching her and her sister. A day later she was interviewed at the Children's Advocacy Center in Edinburg, which works with abused children, and told authorities about the alleged molestation. Police investigators believe the molestation occurred over a four-year period, according to the complaint. The newspaper did not identify the relationship of the man to the girl to protect her identity. The charge against Cantu is a new one, created by the Texas Legislature last year. It is part of a series of changes to the penal code called Jessica's Law, designed to heighten punishments of sexual predators. If convicted, Cantu could face 25 to 99 years in prison. |
International Level: International Guru / Political Participation: 863 86.3%
I think it would be very strange for a child to lie about something like this. The mere fact that she wrote a letter to Santa asking him for help, speaks volumes of how desperate and terrified this little girl is. Most children always ask for toys or sometimes, for the parents to reconcile (if they are divorced) but not to stop molestation. I am so happy that whoever at her school read the letter and handed it over to the relevant authorities. Good to see that God sent an angel to help this poor child. I hope whoever did this to her, is incarcerated for a long time!
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