4 more girls come forward alleging they were groped by illegal immigrant student at Fairfax high school

An illegal immigrant arrested for allegedly groping female students at a Virginia high school has been hit with more charges as more victims have stepped forward, according to police. 

Israel Flores Ortiz, 18, initially faced nine assault and battery charges for allegedly groping female students at the Fairfax County high school. School officials notified Fairfax police on March 5 about multiple assault reports on school grounds after multiple reports from victims. Authorities issued an arrest warrant, and Ortiz was detained on March 7.

On Wednesday, officials announced four additional identical charges after more victims accused Ortiz of groping them, as police have investigated, per Fox News. Ortiz remains in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center with no bail.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who entered the US in 2024. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer request for Ortiz to deport the illegal immigrant and has criticized Virginia officials for not cooperating with ICE.

"We are calling on Fairfax County to honor our detainer to ensure this violent criminal is removed from our country so he can never claim another victim again," DHS said. Fairfax County Sheriff Stacy Kincaid is not honoring the ICE detainer.

Parents of the alleged victims have slammed the school in the case, claiming that reports of the groping were swept under the rug by the school for months. One parent who came forward said of the school’s treatment of the girls, “Abysmal, abysmal. I think from the very beginning, Fairfax County has attempted to diminish what happened to these girls." 

Parents in the school district have been outraged over the incident. "It's terrifying as a parent because when I send my daughters to school, I think they're safe in the care of the school," parent Stacy Langton told reporters. "And in this case, they absolutely were not safe, and I don't know what parent wouldn't be completely distraught at the idea that their daughters could be getting sexually battered while they're changing classes."

Fairfax County Public Schools issued a statement emphasizing student safety commitments. "While Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is unable to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws, we prioritize student and staff safety and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school." 

"We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who continue to work swiftly and thoroughly when there are safety concerns in our schools. The safety of all FCPS students and staff remains a top priority."