Tucson Parents Accused Of Kidnapping Children Face Porn Charges

TUCSON, AZ — A Tuscon couple accused of using a stun gun on a child-welfare worker to kidnap their children each face more than two dozen child pornography charges, and authorities are optimistic the missing children will be returned to their homes in Arizona, police said.

Police began investigating Luis Ramirez, 30, and his wife, Andrea Ramirez, 28, in 2016. The charges reportedly don’t involve their children, 5-year-old Luis Ramirez Jr. and 6-month-old Kahmila Ramirez, who police say the parents kidnapped May 4 during a supervised visit at a Tucson park.

According to police report, the Ramirezes disabled the contract worker with the Arizona Department of Child Safety with a stun gun and tied her to a tree with duct tape. The couple’s car was later found abandoned in Nogales, Arizona, and police think they may have fled to Mexico with the children.

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Lt. Colin King of the Tucson Police Department told The Arizona Star the “likelihood is high” the children will be found. Authorities in Mexico are cooperating and issued that country’s equivalent to the U.S. Amber Alert system, King said, adding the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service, which have personnel based in Mexico, are assisting.

The couple remain at large and are believed to be in Mexico, according to a report by The Arizona Republic. The Arizona Department of Public Safety considers them dangerous, the newspaper said.

They were indicted last month by a Pima County grand jury on multiple counts of child pornography, molestation and child abuse. The Ramirezes are also charged with giving alcohol to a minor and having a loaded firearm within reach of a child, and Luis Ramirez faces additional charges of indecent exposure, molestation of a girl and luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

According to the indictment, the alleged offenses occurred from August 2013 to July 2016, when authorities raided the couple's house and car. Investigators found “pornographic materials” and seized cellphones, thumb drives and computer tablets, according to records.

Following that raid, Luis Ramirez was charged in March 2017 with seven felonies and Andrea Ramirez was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, The Arizona Star reported.

The victims in those charges were identified as a girl under the age of 15, who authorities said was forced to pose nude while the suspects allegedly exploited her by “recording, filming, photographing, developing or duplicating” her image.

The Ramirezes are scheduled to go to trial on those charges later this month. The new indictment involves the same victim, The Arizona Star said.

Photos: Arizona Amber Alert System