A couple of Utah faces Charge of parental kidnapping after federal authorities said they took a 10-year-old boy to Cuba in the midst of a complex custody battle involving the child. Sexual identity.
The baby was returned to his biological mother this week when President Donald Trump’s administration took the unusual step of sending a government plane to her Cuba To get the child back. Federal officials cited concerns that the child would be transported to Havana for sex reassignment surgery.
It is not clear from court documents whether the defendants, Rose Inessa Ethington, a transgender woman and the child’s biological father, and her accomplice, Blue Inessa Ethington, actually planned to perform surgery on the child, which is illegal for children in Cuba.
Authorities said Rose Inessa Ethington shared custody under a court agreement and arranged to move the child, Blue Inessa Ethington, and Blue’s 3-year-old child to Calgary, Canada, last month, ostensibly to go camping.
Instead, they went hundreds of miles to Vancouver, Canada, and caught a flight to Mexico City. Authorities said they flew to Cuba on April 1.
When the group failed to return as expected on April 3, the child’s mother called police in Logan, Utah, claiming that her ex-husband, Rose Inessa Ethington, had violated their custody agreement. Police discovered the group had not been to Calgary and contacted the Department of Homeland Security’s Investigations Branch for assistance, according to court documents.
Investigators, who determined the group entered Canada at the Peace Arch Bridge south of Vancouver, obtained search warrants for the emails, cellphones and social media accounts of Rose and Blue Inesa-Ethington. Investigators then used their online activities to track the group to Cuba.
On April 8, at the request of Cache County District Attorney Dean Murray, a Utah state judge issued arrest warrants for the couple on allegations of interference with custody, a third-degree felony. Judge Brian Cannell set bail at $5,000 for each.
Logan City police spokesman Sgt. Brandon Bevan said that during interviews with the child’s family, one person raised the possibility of the missing child undergoing gender confirmation surgery. No physical evidence was provided, Bevan said.
On April 13, Cannell issued an order for the immediate return of the child and gave the biological mother sole custody.
Three days after Cannell’s order, an FBI agent filed an affidavit in U.S. District Court in Utah alleging that Rose and Blue Inessa Ethington likely did not plan to return to the United States.
The affidavit requested a federal warrant to arrest Rose and Blue Inessa Ethington on charges of international parental kidnapping.
The return of kidnapped children taken abroad is often settled through negotiations, or by the affected parent filing a civil petition under an international agreement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
But in the Utah case, federal officials worked with Cuban law enforcement to locate and deport Rose and Blue Inessa Ethington. Justice Department officials sent one of its planes to Cuba to retrieve the child.
The use of the plane was as sought by the Trump administration Preventing access to gender-affirming care for minors and Pressure on health care providers On this issue.
The child, identified in court documents as MV 1, was identified as a boy at birth but was identified as a girl due to what family members believed was “manipulation” by Rose Inessa Ethington, according to the affidavit.
“There are concerns that MV 1 will be transported to Cuba for pre-pubertal sex reassignment surgery,” the affidavit stated.
The FBI said Blue Inesa-Ethington withdrew $10,000 from her checking account before leaving. Agents also found in the couple’s home a note containing instructions from a mental health therapist in Washington, D.C., to “send the therapist $10,000.00 and instructions regarding the affirmative medical care of the children.” The memo did not mention Cuba.
Officials did not say whether the couple was already planning to have gender confirmation surgery in Cuba or how they would get it.
Federal officials declined to comment on the case beyond what was stated therein Court documents And a press release Issued upon the child’s return.
Gender confirmation surgery Rare among US childrenResearch shows. Among younger patients, the most common surgeries are breast and chest surgeries — most likely transgender males who have graduated high school and had their breasts removed. Major medical organizations are calling for caution about surgery on minors.
In Cuba, adult gender confirmation surgeries are performed through the public health system under strict supervision. The approval of a medical committee must be obtained after a comprehensive review of the patient’s file. This process often takes years and requires a wide range of medical and psychological evaluations.
After being returned to the United States, the two defendants appeared for the first time on Tuesday before the Federal District Court in Richmond, Virginia, and an order was issued for their detention.
Blue Inesa-Ethington’s court-appointed attorney declined to comment. The Associated Press left email and phone messages for Rose’s public defender, Inessa Ethington.
Richmond is only a temporary stop until the defendants are returned to Utah to face charges. The timing of this is uncertain.