FREDERICK MAN SENTENCED TO 50 YEARS FOR SEX ABUSE OF A MINOR

FREDERICK, MD – Yesterday in Frederick County Circuit Court, Celestino Lopez-Aguilar, age 37, of Frederick, MD, was sentenced to a combined 105 years with all but 50 years suspended for 9 counts of Sex Abuse of a Minor. Lopez-Aguilar was found guilty by a Frederick jury on December 14, 2022 following a two-day trial. The Honorable Judge Scott Rolle also ordered that Lopez-Aguilar serve 5 years of supervised probation upon release and register as a Tier-III sex offender, which is a lifetime registration, due to the victim’s age.

 

On December 31, 2020, a then-18-year-old disclosed to her mother that she had been sexually abused by Lopez-Aguilar, who was the former live-in fiancé of her mother. The defendant was seen as a father figure in the household. The victim stated that the abuse began when she was 7-years-old shortly after the defendant moved into the family home in 2008 and lasted until 2016.

 

State’s Attorney Charlie Smith commented, “This was an egregious case where a man used his role as a father figure to sexually abuse a young girl over the course of many years. We are pleased that the defendant received a long sentence and hope that the victim and her family can find closure with this outcome.”

 

The State was represented by Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Tammy Leache. The criminal investigation was led by Frederick Police Detective Rebecca Skelley.

Celestino Lopez-Aguilar