Former Border Patrol agent pleads ‘no contest’ to criminal sexual contact of minor
The former Border Patrol agent suspected of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl pleaded “no contest” to two counts of “Criminal Sexual Penetration of a Minor,” both fourth degree felonies
43-year-old Orlando Gomez will undergo a 60 day evaluation before being sentenced. He is facing three years behind bars.
Gomez, of the 4500 block of Galisteo Loop in Las Cruces, was originally charged with three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor. He was a 20-year-veteran of the Border Patrol.
The victim told detectives the sexual relationship began in June 2014 and lasted until February 2016.
“He would tell her things like, ‘if you don’t have sex with me, I’m going to kill myself’ and she was concerned that if he killed himself, his other children would be without a father,” prosecutor Daniel Sewell told the judge Monday.
Court documents obtained by ABC-7 also state Gomez would tell the victim he would take his own life if she ended their relationship.
“I just wanted to let people know that this does happen in homes and predators can be anywhere. They’re really in disguise,” the victim told ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom after Gomez’s change of plea.
The victim says she now suffers from trust issues. “I don’t know when someone is wanting to help me, I don’t know if I’m going to be manipulated,” she said.
According to the statement of facts, Gomez and the victim had sex between 20 and 30 times during their relationship in various locations including his home, hotels and out of state in Odessa and Austin.
Investigators retrieved text messages from the victim’s phone. A message, allegedly sent by Gomez to the victim states, “I ruined you. I took your innocence. I live with a lot of guilt.”
The victim allegedly responded, “I’ll tell you what I want now. I wanna live with you but not to be your piece of entertainment or for sex all the time or to look hot. I’m a human. I have flaws.”
Gomez was arrested Friday, August 5, 2016 and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
