*Update below*
Cancún, Quintana Roo -
A 41 year old Kentucky man remains in custody here this evening after being arrested while a 15 year old boy performed oral sex on him in a street alley.
Wendell Vincent, who told police he is a resident of Edmonson County, Kentucky, could face a variety of serious criminal charges, including the sexual abuse of a minor.
During his initial declaration, or formal statement, before Public Ministry officials, Vincent denied that he prefers boy sex partners. He said that he had given in to the "impulse" this one time only, and that he's married. Vincent, who is on vacation, has been lodged in the city's hotel zone for several days according to Quintana Roo press sources. News reports did not state whether his wife accompanied him to Cancún.
The Mexican boy was paid $30 USD. Police happened by while the act was occurring, at 3:15 a.m., and noticed that the boy was on his knees in front of Vincent, fellating him. The boy told police he had met Vincent a day earlier. Cancún authorities say the area where Vincent was arrested is well known for male prostitution (see sidebar just below).
Edmonson County is in west central Kentucky. The county seat is Brownsville.
Sidebar story:
June 5 - "Full service" gay sex can be had on the streets of Cancún for about 500 pesos ($35 USD), according to a local news service today. But as with every other commercial enterprise in town, the Los Zetas cartel runs that business, too. Gays who work the streets must in return peddle narcotics for the Zetas (and make sure the proceeds get turned in every night). If a gay sexoservidor doesn't want to sell drugs while he's busy turning tricks, he has the option of paying the derecho de piso like everybody else does. But it may run up to 700 pesos per evening, or almost 5,000 pesos in a week ($350 USD). That's a lot of money in Mexico. Spanish: Criminales, tras red de sexoservidores.
More here in English:
Cancún Zetas extort even street vendors, and run sex trade, too.
Murder of a gay American in Mérida
A revolting way to die – and to live
Gay readers share candid thoughts on gay and gringo sex tourism in Mérida
Spanish news sources
Extranjero y un menor de edad sostienen relaciones sexuales en la calle
Detienen en la Yaxchilán a extranjero pervertidor
This can't end well with a gringo in Mexican prison...
ReplyDeleteI agree, looks like they presented him like a narco.
ReplyDeleteNobody was "presented like a narco." The man was arrested in the middle of a sex act, on a public street at 3:15 a.m., with a kid. He was taken to jail, and photographed like any and every other suspect would be (Mexican, American, Canadian, etc.). The charge is pedophilia-related, and has nothing whatever to do with drugs.
ReplyDeleteI just do not understand how some MARRIED men would travel all the way across the globe to seek cheap thrills with minors... it is just something I cannot comprehend. Sexual predators are everywhere in this world, but it is just crazy how some are just walking timebombs who would only come out of the closet when they are in foreign land, thinking they can get away with it all. Sex tourism... what a concept eh. However, at the end, it is just not worth it. Not when you stick out like a sore thumb.
ReplyDeleteIf the information in the news reports is true and accurate, there's little question of Mr. Vincent's guilt. The police caught him in the act of receiving oral sex from a young man who is legally a minor. What will happen to Mr. Vincent? Will he spend time in prison? Will the incident be more or less swept under the rug (a fine and deportation) so as not to hurt tourism? What about the young man? Time in a juvenile detention center for prostitution? Still on the street turning tricks?
ReplyDeleteI can't possibly predict how Mr. Vincent's case will be handled. While sexual contact with a minor can land someone in jail for a very long time, this one MIGHT be treated differently. I have no inside information to support that, it's just a hunch. I suspect Vicent might have been under the influence of something (again, just a hunch, but it was 3:15 a.m., and happened on a public street, so intoxication would not be out an unreasonable assumption). Perhaps he knew the boy's age, perhaps he didn't. A lot of 15 year old Mexicans could easily pass for 20. Finally, the area where this happened is a seedbed of male prostitution (see the June 5 update in the article).
ReplyDeleteWere it my decision -- and I don't treat child prostitution lightly -- I'd probably hold Vincent for 30 days, and then issue him a 10 year deportation notice, so that he couldn't return to Mexico for a decade.
Vincent's biggest problems are not in Mexico, anyway. More likely they'll be in Kentucky, when he returns and has to face the music. It's a small world, and news travels quickly.
Isn't 12 the legal age of consent in Quintana Roo meaning that it's not automatically illegal to have sex with someone 12-18 years old? I was under the impression that in this case with a 15-year-old, Mr. Vincent can't be charged with engaging in a sexual act with a minor unless the minor or his parents or legal guardians file charges. I imagine there are several other charges Mr. Vincent could be facing, however, even if the young man or his parents/guardians don't file charges.
DeleteGood question, and I wish I knew the answer.
ReplyDeleteI just did a quick scan of the issue, and Google returned dozens if not hundreds of pages of material on the age of sexual consent in Mexico. Many different opinions, ranging from 12-18. Some writers said that it varies by state. I simply don't know.
The stories I based my article on are at the bottom of the post (both in Spanish, obviously). One, from a source I rely upon all the time, said that Vincent was arrested for "having sex with a minor." The other said he might be charged for "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" -- but note, please, that those words do not necessarily imply the same kind of relatively petty conduct that they would in the United States.
Prostitution is NOT illegal in Mexico, although public solicitation is (the law is not often enforced). But the bottom line is that if the 15 year old boy was of sufficient legal age to have sex with a 41 year old man, I can't imagine that the police would have taken the American into custody, booked and photographed him, and treated the whole matter like such a big deal.
If you read my June 5 update in this story, you will note that young male prostitutes are on the same Cancún street all the time (most are 18-23). The police do nothing to them. So I have to presume that the Quintana Roo age of consent is something over 15, or Mr. Vincent would not have been arrested.
Be assured I will continue to monitor this story and report published developments in the case.
This is sad. It is no news that Mexico is an under developed nation with millions of people living in poverty and desperately trying to earn some greenback from the tourism industry. Now that violence ,global currency and dwindling market are deepening the troubles for poor Mexicans, Foreigners are just becoming more and more audacious when comes to haggling for some degrading 'services' from the desperate people of Mexico. I know this VERY well because in the last 2 years in Mexico I was selling my artistic skills in major hotels in the Riviera... Cancun Playa Del Carmen and Puerto Morelos, and I witnessed PLENTY of condescending attitude not just from Spring Breakers but also arrogant fellow American adults, who spat at people trying to make the expensive rent just to keep their spot at the hotels. Sometimes it makes me very mad to see my fellow Americans treat their southern neighbors like dirt. Not all of them though, many are very kind in supporting their trade and even tip well. Little kids who sell their 'services' to old gringos are desperate kids who find no hope in a very discriminating 'caste' society, and there are plenty of foreigners who are more than happy to splurge some measily 10 to 30 bucks to get a quicky. Imagine when American kids one day get desperate enough to offer themselves to the highest bidder, not like that is not happening already.
ReplyDeleteYou should probably take notice of this US federal statute:
ReplyDeleteChapter 117, 18 U.S.C. 2423(b)- forbids traveling in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in "illicit sexual conduct" with a minor.
Very, very interesting point, and thank you for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteI am indeed familiar with the statute, but given the reported facts of the case, it really didn't occur to me when I wrote my story. Since you know all about this law, permit me to explain it to my readers.
The cited criminal statue makes it a federal offense for anyone who departs from the United States to travel to a foreign country with the purpose of having "illicit sexual conduct" with another person. That "other person" could be a minor, or it could be an adult. "Illicit sexual conduct," by definition, could and would include male or female prostitution, even though in many countries prostitution is a relatively minor offense these days.
If the other person is an adult, and there is NO law prohibiting prostitution in the foreign country traveled to, then this U.S. statute would not come into play.
But you're correct, technically this gentlemen could be facing a 30 year sentence in the federal pen (highly unlikely, though, as a practical matter).
Here are the operative sections of the statute:
18 U.S.C. 2423
(b) Travel With Intent To Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct.— A person who travels in interstate commerce or travels into the United States, or a United States citizen or an alien admitted for permanent residence in the United States who travels in foreign commerce, for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.
(c) Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places.— Any United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence who travels in foreign commerce, and engages in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.
Addendum: The above law, which was passed by Congress several years ago, was specifically intended to go after so-called "sex tourists" from the United States, who frequently travel to Latin America and Asia for the purpose of seeking sex with prostitutes and/or minors. An internet search will demonstrate that a thriving industry based on just such customers exists. There indeed have been Americans convicted and sentenced under this statute.
ReplyDeleteIs there any updated information on this story with Mr. Vincent? If so, could you post a link for me to follow?
ReplyDeleteYou're the second reader who's asked me for an update on Mr. Vincent. Alas, I have nothing OFFICIAL to report, hence no subsequent article.
ReplyDeleteBut "through the grapevine," MGRR has learned that Mr. Vincent MAY have been released from custody after 48 hours and sent packing back to the States. But don't quote that, it's just an "internet rumor."
Since you're interested in the case, take a few minutes to track him down in Edmonson County, Kentucky. That's a rural and small town area, it would appear, and it shouldn't be that difficult to reach him. When you do, tell him MGRR wants an exclusive interview, to get "his side of the story."
I know of Wendell Vincent. He isn't married. I've spoken to him about this when a friend told me about this. He says he was peeing in an alley and a boy was peeing not far from him. He said the next thing he knew was the cops were all over him. He said they took all of his money and took him to jail. Also he said they ran tests on him and the boy to make sure that the charges werent true. Wendell said that the boy did make a statement that he (Wendell) did nothing wrong. I don't know what to beleive. It kind of scares me a little.
DeleteNote to readers:
DeleteMy story was based on two Spanish press accounts published Monday, June 4. They're both linked at the bottom of my article. The second of those reports specifically states that Vincent told the Cancun police that he's married (last paragraph, last sentence).
Of course, that doesn't mean that Vincent is married, or even that he told police that he is. It just means that a local source reported so in Spanish. I read multiple news sources (dozens every day), translate and aggregate their content, and then compose my own original story in English (there's no Google-translator junk on MGRR). If I think something appears bogus or illogical, I don't include it, but for those of you who can read Spanish, nothing about Vincent allegedly being married in the second link struck me as such.
As for forensic "tests" to prove or disprove the core allegations against Vincent, there is of course no test which would NECESSARILY or even PROBABLY resolve that issue. Think about it . . . you don't have to be a lawyer or a scientist to figure it out.
Note to readers:
ReplyDeleteI'm being besieged by readers demanding to know what happened to Mr. Vincent in this case. The following will serve as my message to everyone who has inquired:
This is a news website, not a detective agency. I reported on this case on June 4 for what should be obvious reasons. A U.S. citizen on vacation in Cancun was arrested in a case which ALLEGEDLY involved sexual contact with a 15 year old boy. That's a legitimate news story, plain and simple, not only here but in many other places as well.
I composed my story based upon the two Spanish language articles which appeared in the Cancun press the same date, and which are linked at the bottom of my story. Everything I wrote is 100% accurate based upon those stories. Of course, if and to the extent those stories are not accurate, then my piece would not be either. But I’m very confident that they were accurate, insofar as they set forth the core allegations of the case. I use one of those sources regularly, and I have found it to be very reliable.
People get arrested all the time, and then for a dozen different reasons the case may be dropped or never prosecuted. I have no idea what happened to Wendell Vincent, although I did see some “internet traffic” a few days ago suggesting that he might have been released after 48 hours. But that’s just an unconfirmed rumor. Maybe he’s still sitting in jail, maybe he’s back in the States. The difference between the Mexican legal system and the American legal system is enormous. There’s simply no comparison, and people at times may be released in this country for reasons which have nothing to do with the merits (facts) of the case.
I know Mr. Vincent was arrested – there are mug shots of him, after all. I know (based upon what the Cancun press reported), that he was arrested in a male prostitution area. I don’t think two newspapers made that up. Maybe he was entirely framed by Cancun police, but I doubt it. Cancun is a tourist friendly and a tourist HUNGRY area, which has no desire to upset or to worry visitors from the United States.
I express no opinion on whether Mr. Vincent was/is guilty or not guilty. It's not my job to determine those facts. I reported the basic facts of his arrest, and the ALLEGATIONS made against him. It's up to others to decide what did - or didn't - happen.
If someone has something material to report, I may post additional Comments due to the enormous interest in this case. But I don't intend to continue answering every inquiry. I've reported truthfully and accurately what I know, which is all any news service can do.
I know for a FACT that Wendell Vincent has in fact been released from the mexican jail, and has returned to the U.S. I also know that he is back to work driving an 18wheeler across america with his girlfriend. Wendell Vincent isn't currently married to anyones knowledge, but apparently has a marrige in his history that no one knows about. I don't know how to prove any of these thigns, but they are true.
ReplyDeleteHe is completely innocent of all chargers and is back working and would like to put this behind him.
ReplyDeleteIf you know Mr. Vincent personally -- and it appears you do -- please let him know MGRR would very much like to interview him to get his side of the story. I can call him on his cell or home phone, and it won't cost him anything other than a few minutes of time. All that MGRR readers have so far is local press accounts about what happened in Cancun on June 3-4.
ReplyDeleteOne of those accounts says Mr. Vincent admitted to engaging in a sexual act with a young male on a street in a known prostitution area. If he denies making that admission, now's his chance to tell the world. Thank you for conveying this message to Mr. Vincent.
Note: If he does want to tell his side of things, ask him to please write me at edvbyrne@gmail.com
Well, I was traveling with Wendell on that Cancun trip. On Saturday night, me and my other buddy decided to hang at hotel and Wendell took off.
ReplyDeleteNext morning, I got call from hotel saying Wendell is in jail. I went there to meet him. He was indeed in jail and authorities were getting his side of story.
I didn't get to ask him because they wouldn't let me talk with him directly. But, authorities told me that they found him on street engaging in oral sex with minor. I was shocked when I heard that. Furthermore, they told me that if Wendell is innocent, he will be out in 48 hours otherwise he will be in jail for "years". That literally shocked me. This happened on Saturday night and we were scheduled to leave on Wednesday. So, Wendell had enough time to get out of prison if he was innocent. From what I heard, they did some lab tests on boy's mouth and Wendell's privates to determine whether he is innocent or not.
I went back to hotel and I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Wendell. It is hard going through this when your friend is in jail. I have known Wendell for 11 years and I haven't found him in this type of situation. So, I didn't know what to believe? His side of story or mexican police side of story?
To cut long story short, on Tuesday morning around 6 am, someone knock on my hotel room door. I went on to open the door and it was Wendell. He was in happy tears, he said he is out for good and he is innocent. We both flew back to States on Wednesday.
Now, here are my questions:
I been to Cancun 7 times and I haven't been in trouble or arrested. I think Cancun is safe place if you don't do anything stupid.
Wendell took off on Saturday night, he was away from us and I didn't know what happened on that night.
But this is towards locals who lives in Cancun.
1) The street where he was arrested, is it safe street?
2) Cancun is tourist town and mexican police wouldn't just "arrest" any tourists for just wandering on streets outside of hotel zone, is it accurate statement?
3) If authorities released Wendell in 48 hours, is it safe to assume he is out for good?
4) Yes, tourists do get arrested but Wendell's story is headlines. It is out everywhere. Would police just arrest him for hanging on male prostitute street? OR he was actually doing something??
I am asking these questions because I tried getting answers from Wendell. But, he is sticking to one thing and that is he is innocent. I don't think that mexican police will arrest you for wandering on streets outside of hotel zone.
I would like to find out truth. Sorry, I couldn't provide Wendell's details because I am not authorized to do so. He isn't up to speed with internet and stuff. He don't even have his own email address. Best way you can get hold of him is via his cell number. But, I can't give that out without his permission.
I am glad this incident is over but I want to find out truth of what actually happened.
I'll give it a shot. My answers and comments are based on my own opinions.
Delete1) The street where he was arrested, is it safe street?
There probably aren't many streets at 3:00 a.m. where prostitutes hang out that would be considered safe streets by anyone with common sense.
2) Cancun is tourist town and mexican police wouldn't just "arrest" any tourists for just wandering on streets outside of hotel zone, is it accurate statement?
The "mordida" (bribe) is alive and well. Many police officers are not above threatening to arrest someone for a real or made-up crime with the idea that the accused person will offer to pay a sum of money to avoid being arrested and/or charged. Maybe Wendell didn't know how to play the mordida game with the cops who arrested him.
3) If authorities released Wendell in 48 hours, is it safe to assume he is out for good?
Since they allowed him to get on a plane and leave the country, I'd say he's out for good. However, if I were Wendell, I'd choose a different place for my vacations for the next several years.
4) Yes, tourists do get arrested but Wendell's story is headlines. It is out everywhere. Would police just arrest him for hanging on male prostitute street? OR he was actually doing something??
I'm not sure why this particular story went sort of viral on the Internet. Usually, alleged crimes involving foreigners either as victims or perpetrators are played down, the idea being that such publicity hurts tourism. As for whether Wendell was doing what the police claimed they saw, probably only Wendell and the 15-yr-old boy know for sure.
As for the supposed test (DNA?) that the police did, I find it hard to believe that the police actually had and used such a sophisticated test, and if they did, the presence of DNA in the right places could suggest that the act took place, but the absense of DNA would not necessarily prove that the act didn't occur.
If the police really wanted a confession from Wendell, they'd have used an electric generator instead of a Q-Tip on his private parts. Oh, ya, I forgot. Under the new laws, police aren't supposed to use torture to get confessions.
Note to readers: I particularly agree with the writer's second to last paragraph, "As for the supposed test . . ."
DeleteNo such "test" is or would be customarily used in the U.S. in cases involving charges of this type. In fact, the whole thing strikes me as positively silly. I question whether any legitimate forensic tests were used in this case. It would be a complete waste of time in perhaps 95% of all such investigations.
If the alleged young victim refused to cooperate, and simply told police "nothing happened," that alone could explain why Vincent was released.
Without a victim willing to testify, it's very hard to prosecute a criminal case anywhere. For a stark contrast, consider the pending trial of Penn State ex-coach Jerry Sandusky, which is going on right now (a huge media event). Last week six or eight young men described in horrific detail how Sandusky sexually assaulted them when they were 12-15 years old. That's how such cases result in prosecution victories.
So ask him if you can give Ed his cell phone number, then send it to Ed's email. We would all like to know Wendell's side of the story.
ReplyDeleteDelightful to know that I'm on a first name basis with so many strangers . . . and he mercifully spared me the more common Mexican "Lalo."
ReplyDelete