Montgomery County, Maryland, police have arrested a man in connection with the rape and sexual abuse of three young girls and are encouraging any other potential victims to come forward.
Irvin Ariel Portillo, 28, of Damascus, was arrested Friday and faces multiple charges including second-degree rape and third-degree sexual offense.
He’s being held without bond, and police have released a photo of Portillo.
Authorities believe there may be other victims.
The charges stem from an investigation that started on Oct. 29, when investigators said they looked into Portillo as a suspect in an alleged rape of a teenage girl.
Two other victims were then identified and Portillo was later charged.
In one of the cases, according to charging documents, a 15-year-old girl claimed Portillo brought drugs and alcohol to her friend’s home in Clarksburg, where the girl was attending a sleepover. When she began to feel unwell, that’s when the girl told police Portillo took her into a bedroom and raped her.
In another case, a 14-year-old girl claimed she met Portillo because he would sell drugs to her and her friends. She said Portillo would pick her up from school and they would “hang out everyday.”
The victim said to police that they would “go on walks and talked about life.” About two months after the meetups started, the victim said that Portillo “claimed” her as his girlfriend although “he never asked.” She said they were not in a relationship and that he sexually abused her.
The victim also provided photos of the assault to police.
Police believe that there may be other victims, and urge anyone with more information about this case or anyone who believes they may be a victim of Portillo to contact detectives at 240-773-5400.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
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