A man from Gaithersburg will serve 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree rape, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office announced in a press release Thursday.
Francisco Barahona, 46, recently finished a 10-year federal drug trafficking sentence. He was subsequently transferred to Montgomery County Circuit Court and plead guilty on Oct. 16, 2023.
Courtesy of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The victim reported to police in 2019 that Barahona had raped and sex trafficked her for several years. In 2010, Barahona posed as a member of the victim’s family to secure custody from the United States Border Patrol. The victim was 14 years old at the time, according to the release.
“This sentence reflects the heinous exploitation of a child at the hands of many individuals because of the actions of the defendant,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy. “We thank the Montgomery County Police VICE and Intelligence Unit for their dedicated work and comprehensive investigation in this case.”
Barahona’s sentencing was heard on Feb. 23. The case was tried by Assistant State’s Attorney Sheila Bagheri before Associate Judge Sharon V. Burrell.
