Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old junior at Fairfax County High School, was found guilty of assault and battery, after at least a dozen female students came forward accusing Ortiz of grabbing them between their legs.
Ortiz was found guilty on nine counts of assault and battery and not guilty on three counts. The judge dismissed one count against Ortiz. All of the charges were misdemeanors.
Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who entered the United States in 2024. He is currently an eleventh-grader at Fairfax County High School. In the state of Virginia, illegal immigrants can attend public schools at the taxpayers’ expense until the age of 22.
Ortiz is set to be sentenced on April 21. Before Ortiz’z conviction, the Department of Homeland Security posted on X Thursday afternoon, “@ICEgov stands ready to take him into custody and deport this sexual deviant.
When Ortiz was arrested, Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano’s office agreed to his bail request. Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith, however, denied the request, citing concerns that releasing Ortiz is not in the public’s best interest. Descano’s office has been under intense fire recently after releasing previously convicted offenders, particularly Abdul Jalloh, an illegal immigrant who was charged with murdering Stephanie Minter at a Virginia bus stop. Jalloh carried a significant criminal rap sheet, with more than 30 charges, at least half of which Descano’s office had dropped.
Descano’s office requested that Ortiz’s hearing be closed, citing the national media attention that the case has received as well as the fact that minors were testifying. The judge denied the request, except for when minors were testifying.
Parents from the district told 7News‘s Nick Minock, who first reported on the incident, that they are furious with the school.
“Abysmal, abysmal,” one mother told 7News, describing how her experience has been with how the school handled the situation. “I think from the very beginning, Fairfax County has attempted to diminish what happened to these girls.”
The Department of Education opened an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools at the end of March, following the report that at least a dozen girls were sexually assaulted by Ortiz.
DOE said this is just the latest in a long list of investigations into Northern Virginia schools.
“It was all perpetrated by a single individual who is a stranger to the girls. He just sneakily walked up behind them and put his hand in between their legs,” a mother previously told 7News. “It was not just a butt smack or a butt grab. It was a groping of a private area. It had been occurring for several months.”
After Ortiz was arrested, Fairfax County Public Schools released a statement, addressing the incident.
“Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) received the complaint yesterday and is reviewing it. We are prepared to fully cooperate with the U.S. Department of Education’s inquiry,” the statement reads. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partner and are continuing to work closely with them as their investigation into this matter moves forward.”
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid requested that the district seek outside counsel to address the investigation. McGuireWoods LLP, a Richmond-based firm, is representing the district, according to the statement.