San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced on Dec. 6, 2022 that couple Jose Aguila and Lorraine Lim allegedly forced the nanny to be available at all times to care for their child, and had her sleep in a storage room crowded with stacked items of clothes and boxes and no heat
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced on Dec. 6, 2022 that couple Jose Aguila and Lorraine Lim allegedly forced the nanny to be available at all times to care for their child, and had her sleep in a storage room crowded with stacked items of clothes and boxes and no heat
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that a married couple have been charged with human trafficking after allegedly bringing a nanny from the Philippines and forcing her to work for them in deplorable conditions for more than two years.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement released Tuesday that eight charges were filed against Jose Aguila and Lorraine Lim, including at least five felony counts related to human trafficking and three misdemeanor labor code violations.
According to the district attorney's office, the charges stem from an investigation into the working conditions of Aguila and Lim's nanny, who was identified only as Nicel R. The district attorney's office reported the suspects brought Nicel R. from the Philippines to the United States on an agreement that she would work for them for a three-month period.
However, the suspects isolated Nicel R. by withholding her passport, restricting her from having friends or cell phone service and monitoring her ability to leave their home, the district attorney's office alleged. Aguila and Lim also allegedly made Nicel R. — who does not speak English — dependent on them for food, shelter and money, and the nanny lacked the resources to leave her employers.
Officials reported Aguila and Lim paid the nanny only $240 per month "for the first several months" of her service, then only $40 per month.
"The suspects also required her to be available at all times, even in the middle of the night, to care for their child, and they had her sleep in a storage room crowded with stacked items of clothes and boxes and no heat," according to the San Francisco District Attorney Office. "Aguila and Lim also did not provide other mandatory employee benefits such as payment for the substantial overtime hours she worked, meal and rest breaks, paid sick leave, workers’ compensation insurance, and proof of wages."
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The district attorney's office said Nicel R. "was saved in large part" due to a neighbor who became aware of the nanny's situation and informed the San Francisco Police Department. The SFPD, with support from special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, rescued Nicel R. from her employers after learning of the conditions she was subjected to.
"The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division supported the victim since the rescue by placing her in a safe environment and providing resources for her to build a life free from abuse," according to the district attorney's statement.
Aguila surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, and Lim surrendered on Sunday. Both suspects posted bond on $100,000 bail and were released from custody, though pre-trial release conditions include the suspects surrendering their passports to officials and agreeing to maintain no contact with the victim.
Aguila and Lim are each charged with one count of felony conspiracy to commit human labor trafficking, one count of felony human labor trafficking, three counts of felony unemployment insurance code violations and three counts of misdemeanor labor code violations, according to the district attorney's office.
If convicted of all charges, they could each face more than 19 years in prison. Â
