LINK

An undocumented migrant has been charged with nine counts of assault and battery after it was claimed that he was groping fellow students in the hallways of a Virginia high school.

Israel Flores Ortiz, 18, is enrolled as a junior at Fairfax High School.

He was charged with nine counts of assault and battery, which is a level one misdemeanor. Ortiz appeared in court on Friday morning, but was originally arrested on March 7.

The student, who is almost 19, entered the country illegally in 2024 from El Salvador. He was released under a federal government policy from the Biden administration, reported 7News.

The mother of one of the victims said the suspect would sneak up behind girls he didn't know and grab them by the crotch.

'There's a group of about 12 individuals that have reported this assault,' the unnamed parent said.

'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.'

Victims claimed Ortiz had been touching them inappropriately for months, though police listed his official offense date as February 25.

'It was not just a butt smack or a butt grab,' she continued. 'It was a groping of a private area. It had been occurring for several months.'

The victims' parents were less than satisfied with how the school district and Principal Georgina Aye handled the distressing case.

'I think from the very beginning, Fairfax County has attempted to diminish what happened to these girls,' a parent said, calling the county's approach to the situation 'abysmal.'

Aye issued a letter on March 12 alerting parents of a 'student touching students' buttocks.'

'We are writing to share the news of the recent arrest of a student who was charged with inappropriately touching other students at school,' it read.

'These incidents involved the student touching students' buttocks while they were transitioning in the hallways.'

Parents were dissatisfied with the letter, which they said was only sent out after they 'demanded it.'

They alleged that the principal's choice of words led to bullying toward the victims, 'adding fuel to the rumors that they were just attention seeking.'

'The girls have experienced harassment and bullying from peers at school,' a parent said.

Parents claimed that Fairfax County Public Schools would allow Ortiz back in class if and when he is released from custody.

County Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith denied his request to be released on bail this week, even after the prosecution agreed.

Pidikiti-Smith, who reviewed surveillance video of the incident, claimed the bail request that was made did not adequately protect the public.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer on Ortiz's arrest so that he could be deported.

But the agency claimed that the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office failed to honor the detainer.

...