WASHINGTON - A Maryland man was arrested and charged with traveling to engage in sexual conduct with a nine-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced on Tuesday.
What we know:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. says 28-year-old Andrew Juarez, of Baltimore, was arrested last week and charged with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a nine-year-old girl.
Juarez was arrested Sept. 5 at a D.C. bar where he had gone to meet who he thought was the mother of the girl.
He was taken into custody by members of FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Juarez was found to be in possession of two cell phones at the time of his arrest and during an interview with task force agents, Juarez admitted that there was child pornography on one of his phones.
Big picture view:
The case is being brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.