ICE issues detainer for Liberian man accused of sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl at Arizona school

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer against Abel Kai Gblah, a Liberian citizen and registered sex offender, accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl inside an elementary school in Maricopa County, Ariz.

Gblah remains in custody at the local jail while facing multiple state charges.

According to official information from ICE and Maricopa County Police, Gblah trespassed on the Orangewood Elementary School campus posing as a doctor. There, he allegedly persuaded the minor to enter a classroom under the pretext of performing a medical test on her. The girl managed to get away and the suspect fled the scene. He was arrested hours later at his home.

The Liberian man faces charges of sexual assault, kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and kidnapping with intent to sexually assault, according to ICE's Nov. 26 release.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin called the case a serious failure of the immigration system and criticized that Gblah was not prioritized for deportation after his prior crimes.

"The moment this criminal alien was arrested for child sex crimes in 2021, he should have become a removal priority. The Biden administration should have never allowed this dangerous creep to roam free and terrorize an innocent child," she says in the DHS statement.

According to records cited by ICE, Gblah entered the United States in 2011, obtained permanent residency under the Obama administration and racked up multiple convictions: in 2021, for sexual conduct with a minor, and in 2022, for immigrant smuggling.

ICE reiterated that its agents are "committed to protecting American communities" and reminded that victims of crimes committed by immigrants can receive assistance through the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office by calling 1-855-488-6423.