WASHINGTON — A Brandywine man pleaded guilty Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in U.S. District Court in connection with the sexual abuse of a child he met through church services, federal prosecutors announced.
Daniel Ivan Cruz Ramirez, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to one count of coercion and enticement of a child. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 12, 2026.
Federal prosecutors said Cruz Ramirez met the victim at church services when she was 12 years old. He later began communicating with her through text messages and social media, including WhatsApp, Instagram and text messages, between April 2024 and December 2025.
Prosecutors said the messages included discussions about sexual activity and steps to avoid detection, including sneaking into the victim’s home and deleting certain messages and images.
Authorities said Cruz Ramirez sexually abused the victim multiple times between 2024 and 2025. Prosecutors also said he recorded explicit videos involving the victim on Nov. 17, 2025.
The guilty plea updates a case first reported earlier this year, when Cruz Ramirez was charged by criminal complaint and ordered detained pending trial. Prosecutors previously said the case involved allegations that he sexually exploited a 13-year-old girl and produced child sexual abuse material.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, a nationwide effort focused on combating child exploitation and abuse.
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