Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A Salvadoran national, whose green card has been revoked, pled guilty to sexually exploiting a 16-year-old girl (MV1) and filming the encounter.

Bryan Arias-Chicas, 23, a citizen of El Salvador, pled guilty yesterday to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Arias-Chicas was charged via information in October 2025. Gustavo Quintero was charged via indictment in December 2025 for his conduct with respect to MV1. Quintero was additionally charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer in February 2026. Dania Orellana-Gamez, Arias-Chicas's girlfriend, was charged in April 2026 with witness tampering for threatening MV1. The charges against Quintero and Orellana-Gamez remain pending.

According to court documents and other evidence, on May 7, 2025, in Albemarle County, Arias-Chicas and Quintero encountered a young female (MV1) walking down the street. Arias-Chicas and Quintero approached MV1 and offered to buy her alcohol.

MV1 agreed and hung out with Arias-Chicas in a parking lot behind a tractor trailer while Quintero went to purchase high alcohol content drinks for MV1. MV1 quickly drank both drinks and, when she became too drunk to stand upright on her own, began to support herself using the trailer.

Throughout the night and into the next morning, Arias-Chicas, Quintero, and two other men, including Individual 1, took MV1 to multiple locations. On the morning of May 9, 2025, Arias-Chicas, Quintero, and Individual 1 took MV1 to Individual 1's house in the City of Charlottesville, where they each had sex with MV1.

While Arias-Chicas had sex with MV1, and engaged in other sexual activity with her, he used his cell phone to take multiple videos and pictures of MV1 that depict MV1 naked and engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and HSI Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Albemarle County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.