Child Rapist Sentenced After Nearly 20 Years On The Run: Prosecutors

LEESBURG, VA — A man convicted of raping a child in Leesburg in 2001 was sentenced to 50 years in prison, the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said last week.

The man, Franklin Carcamo Giron, spent almost 20 years on the run after fleeing the United States in 2001, authorities said.

Carcamo Giron was arrested in El Salvador in 2020. Authorities extradited him to the U.S. in 2022. In March 2023, he pleaded guilty to rape of a child under the age of 13.

“This result could not have been achieved without the coordination and support of the Department of Justice, the FBI, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Leesburg Police Department and other agencies,” Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj said in a news release. “Additionally, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is indebted to the retired police officers and medical personnel who were willing to assist with the prosecution of this matter. We hope that the victim can now close this chapter of her life and find some measure of peace."

In September 2001, the Leesburg Police Department received a report that claimed that Carcamo Giron committed multiple sexual assaults against a child. After an investigation, detectives charged and arrested him.

Read more: Rape Suspect Arrested After Nearly 20 Years On The Run

However, authorities released Carcamo Giron on bail in 2001 and he fled, according to the police report.

In 2019, members of the Leesburg Police Department determined that Carcamo Giron was living in eastern El Salvador. Detectives obtained an INTERPOL Red Notice, a worldwide request to law enforcement to arrest someone pending extradition.

Virginia's sentencing guidelines recommended that Carcamo Giron serve between 9 and 19 years in prison. However, prosecutors argued that he should face a longer sentence for evading justice.

" [Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney] Ms. Siyal further argued to the court that while the defendant was out living the life he wanted to live, the victim was left with ruined childhood and stolen innocence," the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney said in a news release.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center can provide information about reporting and coping with sexual abuse. Their website also features training materials and tips to prevent sexual abuse. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network operates a 24/7 hotline for victims of sexual assault. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.