Previous Story
Woman deported for prostitution
|
Posted on May 18 2005
In a strong message against prostitution, a Superior Court judge yesterday ordered the deportation of a female garment worker who was accused of offering sex for money.
Associate judge David Wiseman also said that prosecutors could directly initiate deportation proceedings against suspected prostitutes without first filing criminal charges, to immediately rid the CNMI of unwanted aliens.
Wiseman declared the female defendant a deportable alien for violating the terms of her work entry permit. By engaging in prostitution, the woman offered commercial services other than the job category in the permit.
“It is clear that [she] was involved in prostitution activity, which is outside the job category of that of a hand sewer, as allowed under her entry permit,” the judge said.
“Although the CNMI Legislature, in its campaign against the prostitutes that loiter and infest our tourist areas with their presence, has passed laws providing for criminal prosecution of a variety of prostitution activities, there is no requirement that a nonresident worker that has violated the CNMI’s immigration laws must first be criminally prosecuted before she can be deported,” he added.
Immigration enforcement officers observed the woman frequenting the Garapan area at the vicinity of the DFS Galleria as early as October 2004.
An undercover Department of Labor officer, Masaaki Nakamura, also testified in court that the woman had approached him and offered sex in exchange for money. Surveillance cameras also showed that the woman approached Asian males and escorted them to the nearby Joy Hotel.
“The government’s expert witness testified that the Joy Hotel is a known place of prostitution and that [the woman’s] activities were consistent with prostitution,” the judge said.
The woman did not present evidence to rebut the government’s position that she is a deportable alien, Wiseman said.
