A Maryland man, Daniel Ivan Cruz Ramirez, 28, was ordered detained pending trial on charges related to producing child pornography, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the detention decision came after a complaint charged Cruz Ramirez with sexual exploitation of a child for the creation of a 26-minute video depicting the rape of a 13-year-old victim.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, on Jan. 22, Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui ordered Cruz Ramirez to remain in detention until trial. “This case represents the ultimate nightmare for any parent,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. Cruz Ramirez is accused of meeting the victim at church services when she was 12 and sexually exploiting her multiple times throughout 2025.
The statement said Cruz Ramirez first contacted the victim on her first day of eighth grade, later recording a series of abusive videos on Nov. 17, 2025. The FBI and MPD Youth Division conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Amanda Swanson are prosecuting the case under the DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched in 2006 to combat online sexual exploitation of minors. Its website offers resources for victims and information on DOJ child protection efforts.
