A federal jury has convicted Michael Jamie Inofuentes, 45, of Vienna, Virginia, on charges related to sex trafficking of a child and engaging in illicit sexual conduct abroad. The verdict was delivered on September 12.
Court records show that Inofuentes, who holds residences in both Virginia and Colombia, was stopped at Miami International Airport on November 1, 2024. Authorities flagged him for secondary inspection after noticing suspicious payments made to an individual suspected of involvement in child sex trafficking in Colombia. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations searched Inofuentes and his belongings during the inspection.
Agents discovered messages between Inofuentes and a 15-year-old Colombian girl discussing commercial sex acts. The victim told Inofuentes she was a minor, and they arranged to meet at a hotel in Medellin for sex while negotiating payment. Several months later, the victim informed Inofuentes she was pregnant; they discussed the possibility that he was the father.
Initially denying any sexual contact with the victim, Inofuentes later admitted to having a sexual relationship with her. He also acknowledged having children in Colombia with another woman who was a minor when he impregnated her. After being interviewed by authorities, Inofuentes returned home but attempted to fly back to Colombia three days later from Dulles International Airport. He was stopped again by officials and admitted offering money for sex at a hotel.
Inofuentes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment when sentenced on January 15, 2026. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stated: "Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the verdict."
The investigation received support from the HSI Miami Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Laura D. Withers are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative started in May 2006—to address child sexual exploitation online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and rescue victims (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Further information about this case can be found through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website or via PACER under Case No. 1:25-cr-5.
