WASHINGTON – A Baltimore man has been arrested and charged with traveling to Washington, D.C. with the intent to engage in sexual conduct with a nine-year-old girl, federal authorities announced.
Andrew Juarez, 28, was taken into custody on September 5 at a bar in D.C., where he believed he was meeting the child’s mother. The arrest was carried out by members of the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., Juarez faces federal charges for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
During the arrest, agents found two cell phones in Juarez’s possession. He reportedly admitted during questioning that one of the devices contained child pornography.
The case falls under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The investigation was led by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s specialized task force, with prosecution being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
Juarez remains in custody as the case proceeds in federal court.
