Three individuals were arrested earlier this week for their alleged participation in a ring dedicated to the sexual exploitation of young women in Costa Rica. According to a press release published by the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ), a series of raids on underground brothels in the municipalities of Alajuela and Heredia resulted in the rescue of women who were coerced and intimidated into working as unpaid prostitutes.

The arrested suspects are two women and one man; they are between the ages of 30 and 35, and they all are believed to have collaborated in a devious plan that involved pandering, extortion, intimidation, blackmail, and sexual exploitation, and human trafficking.

According to a preliminary report filed by OIJ agents and forwarded to prosecutors, the suspects operated underground brothels located from within residences located near the downtown sectors of Alajuela and Heredia. They reportedly lured their victims by posting classified ads on printed newspapers that are known to appeal to Nicaraguan expats and working-class readers in Costa Rica; these ads purportedly offered jobs to young women who wished to learn about massage therapy. A different set of ads offered positions in residential housekeeping; all ads offered room and board.

During the fake job interview for the above-mentioned vacancies, the alleged perpetrators promised very high pay and free room and board for either working as apprentice massage therapists or live-in housekeepers; however, that was but a deceptive maneuver. Once the job applicants were putatively hired, they were taken to Alajuela or Heredia; alas, a few days later the newly hired women were faced with a frightening reality as their captors revealed their true and nefarious intentions.

According to the press release from the OIJ, the women were forced to into unpaid prostitution by means of intimidation with violence and blackmail. Of all the perils lashed upon the victims, it was the threat of blackmail that they feared the most as many of these women come from Nicaraguan families. In Nicaragua, women who leave their families behind for the purpose of coming to Costa Rica to find  work are greatly shamed and chastised if they are found to be earning their keep as prostitutes, even when the economic contributions they make to their households are significant. The suspects in this case are alleged to have taken advantage of this societal attitude to manipulate their victims.

In Costa Rica, acts of prostitution are not illegal per se; in spite of  this permissiveness, deriving proceeds from prostitution as a third party, and activity commonly known as “pimping” or pandering, is a criminal offense.

Prosecutors assigned to this case could have an easy day in court if they pursue pandering charges; after all, the suspects apparently forced their victims to keep a logbook that noted all the sexual and financial transactions in detail, down to the disbursements that should have been made to each suspect. Notwithstanding this villainous bookkeeping, prosecutors are far more interested into pursuing sexual exploitation and human trafficking charges against these alleged miscreants.