A man from Abilene has been convicted of trafficking a runaway teenager to multiple males and has been sentenced to 195 years in prison.
In October 2023, Juan Ortiz was apprehended and accused with the trafficking of a child. The teen was picked up by Ortiz in August 2023 and taken to a motel on South 1st Street, where he provided her with drugs and alcohol. Ortiz then solicited numerous male suspects to pay him to engage in sexual intercourse with the teen while he recorded the event, according to court documents.
Ortiz was judged guilty of all charges, including Trafficking of a Child, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, and two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child, during his trial in the 104th District Court. He was sentenced to 80 years for trafficking, 75 years for aggravated sexual assault, and 20 years for each count of sexual assault. These sentences are to be served consecutively, resulting in a total of 195 years of incarceration. Additionally, Ortiz was assessed a $20,000 fine.
APD Youth Detective Clint Coapland, who helped secure the arrest of Ortiz several months ago, says, “The jury’s decision to impose a 195-year sentence on the defendant sends an unmistakable message: crimes against children will be met with the full force of justice. This sentence is not just a punishment, it is a powerful stand in defense of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Derrick Bernard Harden Jr., Cristian Gomez, Rony Pineda-Zuniga, Immanuel Dan Brown, and Darlin Zuniga were also apprehended in connection with the case.
Three of the suspects—Gomez, Pineda-Zuniga, and Zuniga—were convicted of Solicitation of Prostitution. They were each sentenced to two years in prison, and all sexual assault charges against them were dismissed.
Harden and Brown are the sole remaining suspects whose trials are still unresolved. Brown’s court appointment is scheduled for August 2025, while Harden’s is currently scheduled for September 2025.
