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A Fairfax County High School 18-year old student was found guilty of groping a number of female classmates.
Israel Flores Ortiz, who was initially charged with 13 crimes was found guilty on nine counts of misdemeanor battery and assault, was acquitted on three other charges and one case dismissed.
In Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, the girls who were inappropriately touched told their stories.
The incidents were shown on surveillance footage. Flores Ortiz’s lawyer argued that the crimes were not visible and that crowded halls caused accidental touching.
Prosecutors said Flores Ortiz displayed a pattern that spanned several days.
The sentencing will be on April 21. Maximum penalty per count is six-months in prison. Flores Ortiz is still in custody.
In social media posts the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Flores Ortiz had been in the U.S. illegally since 2024 from El Salvador, and that “ICE is ready to deport him” if he was released.
Michelle Reid, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, announced last month that the school system has hired an law firm to “establish a clear understanding as to what happened, when it happened, and confirm all policies, procedures and regulations were properly adhered to.”
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