Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - An asylum seeker accused of raping a fellow migrant back in early August was indicted Tuesday morning in State Supreme Court.
26-year-old Jesus Guzman-Bermudez of Venezuela was arraigned before a State Supreme Court judge on an indictment charging him with two counts of Rape in the First Degree (Class "B" violent felonies), two counts of Rape in the Third Degree (Class "E" felonies) and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class "A" misdemeanor).
It is alleged that on, or about the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 2, the defendant forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim on two occasions. The defendant is first accused of restraining the victim by holding the victim down by her arms during the commission of the rape. It is further alleged that the same night, the defendant, again, forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with the same victim by holding her head down.
Both of the alleged crimes occurred inside of a hotel room on the 4200 block of Genesee Street in the Town of Cheektowaga in the presence of their three-year-old child. The victim was known to the defendant.
Guzman-Bermudez was initially arraigned in Cheektowaga Town Court on Aug. 9 and was held without bail.
Guzman-Bermudez is scheduled to return to court on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. ET for a pre-trial conference before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Haendiges. He continues to be held without bail. A temporary order of protection, issued on behalf of the victim and the child, remains in effect.
If convicted of the highest charge, Guzman-Bermudez faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
