Guatemalan cop accused of holding teen as sex slave

Guatemala City, Aug 18 (IANS/EFE) A Guatemalan police officer was arrested on charges of holding a 14-year-old girl as a sex slave for months, authorities said Friday.

Marvin Florian, 40, was taken into custody Thursday, the police said in a statement.

The officer, who is accused of rape and torture, paid off the girl's mother to keep quiet about the arrangement, according to the statement.

Florian was detained at a police precinct in a poor Guatemala City neighbourhood, near the residence where he kept the girl prisoner for a year.

Authorities should investigate the possibility that Florian has been involved in other instances of "sexual slavery", Alba Trejo, presidential commissioner for crimes against women, told the media.

Minors were the victims in nearly two-thirds of the 318 reports of sexual violence filed with police so far this year, the Guatemalan human rights office said.

--IANS/EFE

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