A 36-year-old man is accused of forcing a 15-year-old Guatemalan girl to work at a fast-food restaurant in Southlake to pay off a $10,000 debt for smuggling her into the U.S., Tarrant County authorities say.
"This young lady has been traumatized," Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn told KXAS-TV (Channel 5).
Cesar Valdez-Perez faces charges of child trafficking and forging government documents. He was booked into the Tarrant County jail and later released on bond.
Valdez-Perez was quickly picked up by federal immigration agents after he was freed, said David McClelland, the sheriff's chief of staff.
The sheriff said Valdez-Perez first claimed to be the girl’s father and would pick her up and drop her off for work. He said those working in the restaurant thought the girl was an adult and an American citizen because of her forged documents.
Waybourn said the girl has been handed over to the proper authorities.
"She’s being treated very, very well at the moment and she is being taken care of,” he said.