SAN JOSE – Daniel Philip Aguirre appeared in federal court yesterday to face charges for enticement and sexual exploitation of a minor boy, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, Aguirre, 30, of Salinas, used phones and internet applications (including Grindr, Snapchat, and Craigslist) to entice a 14-year-old boy to engage in sex acts with him and ultimately to engage in multiple acts of prostitution, all over the period from April 2017 to September of 2017. The criminal complaint alleges that Aguirre knew of the victim’s age but nevertheless pursued a sexual relationship with him. After establishing his own sexual relationship with the victim, Aguirre is alleged to have prostituted the victim to Aguirre’s associates and others and received payment for the victim’s sex acts. The complaint further alleges Aguirre created and distributed videos of the victim engaged in sex acts with Aguirre and others, including a man who responded to a Craigslist posting created by Aguirre that advertised sex with the victim. The victim later reported Aguirre to law enforcement.
Aguirre was arrested in Salinas and made his initial appearance in federal court in San Jose on March 28, 2022. Aguirre remains in custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing on March 31, 2022.
The complaint charges Aguirre with the sexual enticement and coercion of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). If convicted, Aguirre faces a maximum sentence of life and a minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release following imprisonment of up to life, and mandatory restitution to the victim. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Marissa Harris is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of a 16-month investigation by HSI and Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Department. Salinas Police Department also assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Aguirre’s home.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.