Illegal immigrant found guilty of groping high school kids as Dem lawyer nearly drops case
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Israel Flores Ortiz, the 18-year-old illegal immigrant accused of groping more than a dozen high school girls in Fairfax County, Virginia, was found guilty on nine counts Thursday. The verdict came after critics of the Soros-funded Democratic Commonwealth’s Attorney, Steve Descano, accused him of dismissing the case by not calling witnesses until the day before.
After a day-long trial in which a dozen victims testified, a jury found Flores Ortiz guilty of nine counts of assault and battery and not guilty of three others, local outlet WUSA9 reported. One case was dismissed by a judge, according to WJLA reporter Nick Minock.
Flores Ortiz, 18, was charged with 13 counts of assault and battery on children for allegedly inappropriately touching his classmates at a school in Fairfax County, Virginia, according to police.
Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released to the US under the Biden administration in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was in 11th grade.
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Local police were notified on March 5 by Fairfax High School about reports of multiple assaults on campus. An arrest warrant was issued, and Flores Ortiz surrendered on March 7.
His sentencing is scheduled for April 21.
During the hearing, Sean Kennedy, president of Virginias for Safe Communities, accused Descano of deliberately “ignoring the job” and deliberately lowering the charges to make it harder to deport Flores Ortiz.
“DESCANO REPEAT(,) Fairfax HS illegal groping case falls TODAY because FFX Soros DA Steve Descano only called victims and witnesses yesterday!” Kennedy wrote about X on Thursday. “This is NOT incompetence—it is intentional.”
A photo of the Fairfax High School campus in Fairfax, Virginia, from March 15, 2022. (L) A mug shot of Israel Flores Ortiz, accused of groping girls at Fairfax High School, was taken in March 2025. (John M. Chase/Getty Images; Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office)
After the hearing, Kennedy, who was present in court during the trial, told Fox News Digital that Descano’s office “doesn’t deserve credit for this decision — a Pyrrhic victory as it is.”
“First, Descano charged the illegal alien groper with assault and battery instead of sexual battery which would have included registering as a sex offense or a felony sexual assault that carries a 20-year sentence,” he said. “Descano then wanted to release the judge on bail and the judge refused. Next, the prosecutors sent the witness and the victim subpoenas only the day before – it completely jeopardized the case.”
Despite this, he gave a guilty verdict to the victims, saying, “the girls showed strength and forced Descano to try the case.”
“What’s disgusting is that Descano’s top deputy reduced the sexual harassment of Flores Ortiz to ‘butt grabbing’ in his opening statement supposedly on behalf of the victims after trying to stop the media from covering the case,” he said. “This victory belongs to those brave and relentless victims who have sought justice.”
“Fortunately,” he concluded, “despite the minimal sentence Flores Ortiz will receive ICE will grant him free transportation to El Salvador.”
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DHS has asked Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (right) not to release 19-year-old alien Israel Flores Ortiz (left), who is charged with assault and battery after allegedly groping high school girls. (Bryan Woolston/AP Photo; DHS)
This comes as Fairfax County, Virginia’s most populous county and metropolitan area of Washington, DC, faces increased national scrutiny over crime and violence committed by illegal immigrants. The Trump administration has urged the state’s Democratic leadership, as well as new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, not to release illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes.
During the hearing, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were willing to detain Flores Ortiz for deportation if he is released on Thursday.
“If politicians in the sanctuary of Fairfax County choose to let this criminal back into our communities, (ICE) stands ready to arrest and deport this sex offender,” DHS wrote to X.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the detainee was detained and could face removal from the country.
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Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano (left), a Democrat, and other Democrats are taking heat for sanctuary-style policies that critics say have led to violent “catastrophes” of illegal immigrants. (Sarah Voisin/Getty Images; Frederic Brown/Getty Images)
Virginia parents expressed disgust, frustration and fear over Fairfax High School’s handling of complaints that Flores Ortiz groped several girls from behind on school grounds.
Parent Stacy Langton told Fox News Digital recently, that “it’s scary as a parent, because when I take my daughters to school, I think they’re safe in the care of the school.”
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“And this time, they were very unsafe, and I don’t know any parent who wouldn’t be concerned that their daughters might be sexually assaulted while they’re changing classes,” Langton said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Descano’s office for comment.
