ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Six suspects have been indicted in connection to the sex trafficking of a runaway teen in Abilene.
A Taylor County Grand Jury indicted the suspects on the following charges Thursday:
- Juan Adrian Ortiz – Trafficking Child, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, Sexual Assault of a Child (2 counts)
- Immanuel Dan Brown – Sexual Assault of a Child
- Cristian Valentin Gomez – Sexual Assault of a Child, Solicitation of Prostitution
- Rony Pineda-Zuniga – Sexual Assault of a Child, Solicitation of Prostitution
- Derrick Bernard Harden, Jr. – Sexual Assault of a Child, Sexual Assault of a Child
- Darlin Alexander Zuniga – Sexual Assault of a Child, Solicitation of Prostitution
Court documents state Ortiz is accused of picking up a runaway teen in August 2023 and taking her to a motel room on S 1st Street, where he gave her drugs and alcohol.
Ortiz then, according to the documents, solicited multiple male suspects to pay him to have sex with the teen while he filmed it.
At least three of the suspects confessed to the crime.
Five of suspects arrested in connection to this case remain held in the Taylor County Jail on bonds totaling $100,000 to more than $300,000.
Ortiz was released to another agency, which was not specified in the jail records.
