Marylander Pleads Guilty in D.C. to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

WASHINGTON - Daniel Cruz Ramirez, 28, a Maryland resident, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with the sustained sexual abuse of a D.C. resident starting when she was thirteen, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Cruz Ramirez pleaded guilty before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to one count of Coercion and Enticement of a Child. Judge McFadden scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12, 2026.

According to court documents, Cruz Ramirez met the victim at church services when she was twelve years old. Cruz Ramirez began texting the victim and told her that he liked her on her first day of school in the eighth grade. There were various messages exchanged between the defendant and the victim spanning April 2024 through December 2025 - including chats on WhatsApp, Instagram, and text message. The chats discussed Cruz Ramirez engaging in sexual acts with the victim and steps to avoid detection, including sneaking into the victim's house and deleting certain messages and images.

Cruz Ramirez sexually abused the victim multiple times between 2024 and 2025, including vaginally penetrating her. On Nov. 17, 2025, Cruz Ramirez recorded a series of videos, including a 26-minute video depicting vaginal and oral penetration of the victim.

This case was investigated by FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department's Youth Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley.

This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

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