Woman arrested in connection with West Valley child sex crimes case
Aug 19, 2024, 1:00 PM
Marina Shmaeil Bethyo was arrested on 22 counts of sexually exploiting a minor and two counts of child abuse, police said. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX — Police announced the arrest of a second suspect in a West Valley child sex crime case on Monday.
The Peoria Police Department arrested Marina Shmaeil Bethyo on 22 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor last Friday. They also arrested her for two counts of child abuse.
Police said Marina, 39, had several images and videos displaying child sexual abuse material during the time of her arrest.
How 2nd suspect West Valley child sex crime case was found
Detectives unearthed Bethyo’s alleged crimes while investigating another Peoria resident accused of sex crimes, police said.
That other suspect, 38-year-old Stiven Awshana, was arrested in late July.
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Awshana was booked on 27 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, including possession, recording and distribution.
He also faces these additional charges:
- Four counts of molestation of a child.
- Three counts of furnishing harmful items to minors.
- Two counts of endangerment.
Police did not specify how their investigation of Awshana led them to Bethyo.
