A migrant convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in Brazil fled to the US and was found living in a home with a licensed daycare center in Massachusetts, a report said.
Child rapist Andre Tiago Lucas, who is reportedly the father of the home daycare owner’s two kids, escaped Brazil for the States after he was sentenced in 2016 to nine years and four months in prison, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The fugitive was arrested by federal immigration agents in Cape Cod in October.
“[It’s] terrifying … that someone has been documented, that a Brazilian national fled the country because they were convicted for rape of a 13-year-old and could come to Massachusetts and not only disappear into the fabric of Massachusetts, but actually be living in a home that was a daycare center for young people,” Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis told Boston 25 News.
The daycare has since been shut down, and its owner, Franciele Nunes, allowed her license to expire, according to the outlet.
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care issued the home daycare’s license in March 2022 and inspected the center five times but claimed they found no evidence of Lucas living there, Boston 25 said. It’s unclear how long the child rapist had been residing there.
EEC requires background checks on all people who live or regularly visit home daycares.
But even if they knew Lucas was residing there, it is not likely they’d have noticed any red flags since the department doesn’t run background checks for criminal histories abroad or check immigration status, according to the local news outlet.
The agency didn’t even learn of Lucas’ connection to the facility until four months after ICE arrested him.
Massachusetts State Representative Steven Xiarhos raised concerns about the state’s ability to ensure child safety at local daycares after learning of Lucas’ history.
“You’ve really got to, I think, go out of your way to make sure each place is as safe as it should be. And that’s with proper background checks, looking around when you visit to see if there’s any signs of anything wrong,” Xiarhos said.
“Our children are innocent. And when they go to a daycare, it’s almost like we’re putting their lives in the hands of others,” he said.
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