District Man Sentenced To 63-Month Prison Term
For Sexually Abusing 13-Year Old Girl

     WASHINGTON - Pedro Funes, 21, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 63 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a felony charge stemming from the sexual abuse of a 13-year old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     Funes pled guilty in July 2011 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of attempted first-degree child sexual abuse. The Honorable Thomas J. Motley sentenced the defendant on December 20, 2011. Upon completion of his prison term, Funes will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     At the plea hearing, Funes admitted that on or about February 14, 2009, at an apartment in Washington, D.C., he and another man had sexual intercourse with a 13-year old girl, who at the time was heavily intoxicated and in and out of consciousness.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), especially Detectives Frank Santiago and Andre Davis. He also commended the work of Legal Assistant Ashley Patterson, Paralegal Joyce Arthur, and Victim Advocate Melissa Milam. He acknowledged the outstanding work of the Child and Adolescent Protection Center of the Children’s National Medical Center, which provided critical services and treatment to the victim. Lastly, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

11-556