A man from Kyrgyzstan has been arrested on a Sumter County warrant for allegedly raping a young girl in 2023 while seeking asylum in the United States.
On June 12, deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a sexual battery involving 33-year-old Rakhimzhan Mukhametov and a minor in 2023, according to a warrant out of Sumter County.
The initial investigation revealed that while the juvenile victim’s mother was talking to her about internet safety, the girl disclosed an incident from May 23, 2023. At the time, Mukhametov was a contract worker who was staying at their home preparing to perform with Ringling Brothers Circus, which was the company the family worked for, too. He forced the 13-year-old girl into a utility closet within the barn and raped her, the warrant said.
The entire family clearly recalled this incident, as her mother returned home from grocery shopping and saw Mukhametov come out of the closet with the girl right behind him, clearly upset. He was confronted, but all allegations were denied by him and the girl, the warrant said.
The investigation revealed that Mukhametov threatened to tell the juvenile victim’s family that she had pursued him if she told them what happened. This was a serious threat, as the family was Kazakhstani. In that culture, that type of behavior from a young girl would bring shame to the family and likely result in some form of punishment, the warrant said.
During an interview, the girl described the events of that day. She had been tending to a sick horse when Mukhametov grabbed her, pulled her to him tightly, kissed her and grabbed her buttocks. He then pulled her into the utility closet and raped her. After being confronted by the family and denying everything, he tried to flee the country, the warrant said.
He was talked into returning home but gave an excuse of missing his family, though he left behind all his belongings and took a taxi to the airport from his job site. Days later, the juvenile victim and her mother left for Missouri for work and did not return for several months. When they got back, Mukhametov left the residence shortly after, resulting in no further incidents, the warrant said.
Mukhametov traveled to the United States for work and was seeking asylum in the country when the incident was reported in June. His whereabouts were unknown, though the warrant signed on June 20 stated he would be arrested if found.
He was ultimately arrested on Aug. 2 at an undisclosed residence in Oxford on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation (victim older than 12 younger than 16), sexual battery and kidnap (false imprisonment of child and commit sexual battery). He was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a hold on him.