Gang Leader Convicted for Child Prostitution

Jose Ciro Juarez-Santamaria, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted Thursday of prostituting a 12-year-old girl he met at a party in Oxon Hill.

Indicted on May 12, Juarez-Santamaria was charged with conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation of a minor for prostitution. He faces life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28.

“Forcing girls into prostitution for the purpose of turning a profit is not only criminal, it is intolerable,” Special Agent John P. Torres said in a statement. 

According to court records and evidence at trial, Juarez-Santamaria, 24, joined MS-13 while in El Salvador. He was a leader of the Pinos Locos clique of MS-13 and went by the name “Sniper.” Juarez-Santamaria met a 12-year-old runaway at a party on Oct. 31, 2009. She asked for his help in finding a place to stay. According to the documents, Juarez-Santamaria began prostituting the girl throughout the metro-D.C. area.

At the trial, the girl testified that Juarez-Santamaria and his fellow gang members would call customers in an effort to launch business.  The girl was prostituted from October to December 2009. The prostitution took place at various businesses, homes, apartments, and hotels in northern Virginia. Juarez-Santamaria also allowed MS-13 gang members to have sex with the victim free of charge, according to court documents.

Evidence at trial showed that Juarez-Santamaria charged $40 for fifteen minutes of sex, but would sometimes charge more depending on what the customer wanted. At times, he would take the girl to a location where customers would be lined up waiting for her.