In 2008, a migrant worker who was in Homestead, Florida, abducted two small girls. Lindoro Alvarado, who is 54 years of age, was renting a room from a woman who had young children last year. Alvarado kidnapped her two daughters, who were three and six years old at the time of the kidnapping. He then sexually abused the older girl in the woods, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Police searched for the girls, who were eventually found, in a massive operation that garnered widespread attention from both local and national news media outlets.
Miami criminal lawyer John Musca has learned that Alvarado accepted a plea deal this week. Alvarado pleaded guilty to a number of charges stemming from the abductions and sexual assault and, according to the terms of the deal, will serve 22 years in a state prison.
Alvarado may never go free, however. He is also subject to 20 years of probation for his crimes, but more importantly, the state of Florida is likely to invoke the Jimmy Ryce Act upon his release. The Jimmy Ryce Act allows state officials to civilly commit sex offenders and sexual predators after their release from prison or jail, ostensibly to receive ongoing treatment until they are deemed safe to be released back into the community. The treatment facility in Arcadia, Florida, has been heavily criticized for its lack of viable treatment - generally not more than five hours per week - security problems, and the difficulty offenders have in obtaining release, even though they have completed their sentencing as required for their criminal convictions. Sex offenders and sexual predators are evaluated for placement in the facility based on their perceived likelihood of reoffending. Their cases are evaluated by several state officials, including representatives from the State Attorney's Office and the Department of Corrections.
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