A Honduran national charged with kidnapping and raping a child in Lexington, Kentucky, had entered the United States illegally five times before his arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Jorge Luis Martinez Ulloa, 31, was taken into custody Saturday and is facing multiple felony charges, including kidnapping a minor, two counts of first-degree rape of a victim younger than 12, two counts of first-degree sodomy of a victim younger than 12, and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a victim younger than 12.

Federal officials said Martinez Ulloa first entered the country illegally in 2012 through Laredo, Texas.

Since that time, he entered the U.S. illegally on four additional occasions. Authorities confirmed that he was deported at least once following his initial entry.

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According to the Department of Homeland Security, Martinez Ulloa was removed to his native Honduras after his first entry but later returned multiple times.

Officials said he reentered the United States three times within a 10-day span in 2021.

Federal authorities did not specify whether those entries followed additional deportations or if he left and returned voluntarily during that period.

Officials said Martinez Ulloa entered the country a fifth time at an unknown location and date before the alleged crimes took place in Lexington.

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The charges stem from an incident reported on March 28 at an apartment located in the 1300 block of Davenport Drive in Lexington’s Cardinal Valley neighborhood, near Versailles Road.

Police responded Saturday night after receiving a report involving a child assault victim.

According to court documents, the victim did not know Martinez Ulloa prior to the incident.

Authorities allege that he grabbed the child by the arm and neck, forced her into his apartment, and assaulted her.

The victim told investigators that the only way out of the apartment was through a window.

Martinez Ulloa was arrested shortly after the report and booked into the Fayette County Detention Center, where he remains held on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer one day after his arrest, requesting that local authorities hold Martinez Ulloa for up to 48 hours beyond any scheduled release so federal agents can take him into custody.

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security officials publicly urged Lexington authorities to ensure Martinez Ulloa remains detained.

DHS indicated that local officials are cooperating with federal authorities in the case.

“We need more cities and states to cooperate with us to help remove sickos like this from our country,” Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a news release.

Martinez Ulloa appeared in Fayette District Court on Monday for arraignment proceedings.

A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for April 7.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to review evidence connected to the charges.

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