Man and woman charged in sex slave case

This morning in Belize City a man accused of purchasing two adolescent girls as sex slaves and the mother who allegedly sold them were both arraigned in Magistrate’s Court. Seventy-four year old retired businessman John Majarrez was charged with one count of carnal knowledge, one count of indecent assault and two counts of common assault. He was picked up by police Tuesday night at his residence on Vernon Street in the company of the children, aged ten and thirteen. The girls allege that they were sold to Majarrez, raped on a number of occasions and threatened with death if they told anyone. Police were alerted to the situation by the girls’ uncle and the pair have since been placed in the custody of relatives. Also appearing in Magistrate’s Court this morning was the mother, twenty-nine year old Salvadoran Norma Moz. Moz was charged with two counts of procuration. Both defendants will have their cases heard in the Supreme Court and have been remanded without bail to Hattieville prison. Majarrez will have his next court date on May tenth, while Moz will appear a week later on the seventeenth.