Mother charged with trafficking 12-year-old daughter, man faces sexual assault charges
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WLUK) -- The mother of a 12-year-old girl has been charged with trafficking her and failure to prevent a sexual assault, while the man who allegedly paid the mother for access to the girl faces sexual assault, false imprisonment and child enticement charges.
Elia Antonio, 33, and Juan Rocha Mejia, 31, made initial court appearances Wednesday in Fond du Lac. In both cases, bond was set $1 million cash. They return to court June 7 for preliminary hearings.
Antonio is charged with trafficking of a child, failure to protect a child, and bail jumping. The criminal complaint says out of fear, Antonio said she sold her 12-year old daughter to Rocha Mejia for $250.
"The allegations reflect it's the defendant's own child and based on the allegations a complete failure of a mother to protect her child," said Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney as he asked for the $1 million cash bond.
Rocha Mejia, meanwhile is charged with sexual assault, child enticement, strangulation/suffocation and false imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint, he assaulted the girl in the back of a van in Oakfield. The girl, according to authorities, fought off her attacker, who had bound and blindfolded her, biting him before running away to a nearby home, where a Good Samaritan called 911.
"When deputies arrived they started talking to this girl and quickly realized the magnitude of the allegations and seriousness of the crime," Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt told FOX 11 last week.
In court, Toney said, "The allegations in the criminal complaint reflect the defendant attempting to sexually assault the victim, having sexual contact over her clothing, trying to restrain her with tape, trying to blindfold her, trying to constrict her airways and her brave actions resulted in her escaping and getting help."
Through an interpreter, Rocha Mejia denied the allegations. He said, "What they are accusing me here, I have nothing to do with this."
The district attorney says the investigation into the incident and the two defendants is far from over.
Toney added, "If anybody has any information related to these two individuals, we would ask that you contact the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office. As the investigation is still ongoing, there's always the possibility of additional charges at a later date."
Help is available with the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text “INFO” to 233733. Local resources are available with ASTOP’s 24 hour crisis line: 920-926-5395.
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