A former adjunct professor of chemistry at City College has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting three women from El Salvador whom he lured to the United States with promises of a better life.
Jorge Alberto Ramos, 45, received his sentence in Manhattan federal court, as handed down by Judge John G. Koeltl. In August, he had entered a guilty plea to multiple charges, including aiding and abetting human smuggling.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon detailed that the sexual abuse spanned over a decade. Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence longer than 13 years due to the serious nature of his crimes.
According to the prosecution, Ramos, who hails from El Salvador and has connections in the San Miguel region, manipulated the women into coming to the U.S. by initially showing concern for their families and offering gifts and financial support.
However, upon their arrival, the women faced horrific abuse. Court documents revealed that Ramos informed two victims that he had brought them to America specifically for his sexual desires. “And that is what he did — sexually abusing and raping each victim repeatedly,” the documents stated. Furthermore, he threatened to contact immigration authorities to ensure they complied with his demands.
The prosecution noted that Ramos first encouraged a 25-year-old woman to come to the U.S. around 2013 or 2014. A second woman, aged 27, arrived in November 2015, and the third, who was only 18, was persuaded to enter the U.S. in March 2017.
Ramos misled the women by insisting they would find educational and career opportunities in the United States. The prosecution’s indictment mentioned that the last two victims were eventually able to escape his clutches.
City College confirmed that Ramos has not been employed at the institution since 2009. In legal documents, prosecutors referred to Ramos as “a serial sexual abuser who smuggled three vulnerable young women into the United States for his own selfish gratification.” They emphasized that he specifically targeted these women because he recognized their economic struggles and limited prospects in El Salvador. Ramos groomed them through gifts and deceptive kindness, creating a false sense of security in their interactions.
Ramos’s attorney, Jeremy Schneider, chose not to comment following the sentencing but requested leniency in court papers, highlighting the “hellish conditions” Ramos faced at a federal detention center since his arrest 17 months prior. Schneider noted that Ramos spent his early years in a war-torn El Salvador, losing childhood friends to violence before being smuggled into the U.S.
After completing high school at 16, Ramos eventually achieved a doctorate in biophysics and held adjunct teaching positions at various New York City colleges, in addition to working as a mechanic and electrician. According to his lawyer, Ramos has expressed feelings of deep remorse and will be deported after serving his prison term.
