LA PLATA, MD—Jose Eugenio Escobar-Argueta, a 34-year-old resident of Waldorf, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. on Thursday. The sentence was handed down for charges including Sexual Solicitation of a Minor, Fourth-Degree Sexual Offense, and Fourth-Degree Attempted Sexual Offense. State’s Attorney for Charles County, Tony Covington, announced the sentencing.
Escobar-Argueta will be subjected to a 5-year supervised probation period after his release.
On July 26, 2023, Escobar-Argueta was found guilty by a Charles County jury for the aforementioned charges. The initial incident that led to the charges and subsequent conviction occurred on January 30, 2022. An officer from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report at a residence in Waldorf where the 9-year-old victim resided.
According to the victim, she was sexually touched by Escobar-Argueta in the early morning hours preceding the officer’s arrival. A subsequent investigation unveiled that Escobar-Argueta was a family friend and was present at the victim’s home attending a party. Under the pretext of using the restroom, Escobar-Argueta entered the young girl’s bedroom while she was asleep.
The girl awoke to find Escobar-Argueta lying next to her. He then began to touch her inappropriately and also made sexual requests. The victim declined his advances and expressed her discomfort. When she attempted to leave the room, she found that Escobar-Argueta had locked the door from the inside. Fortunately, the victim’s mother could gain entry to the room, and Escobar-Argueta was subsequently removed.
The sentencing details, as shared by the State’s Attorney, are as follows:
- Count 1: Sexual Solicitation of a Minor — 10 years in prison, with all but 8 years suspended.
- Count 2: Fourth-Degree Sexual Offense — 1 year, to run consecutively to Count 1.
- Count 5: Fourth-Degree Attempted Sexual Offense — 1 year, to run consecutively to Counts 1 and 2.
The sentence means that Escobar-Argueta will serve 10 years, followed by a 5-year supervised probation upon his release.
This case underscores the ongoing concerns related to sexual crimes against minors and emphasizes the legal repercussions for offenders. Law enforcement agencies and the judiciary are committed to holding those who perpetrate such acts accountable for their actions.