Two women said Eduardo Valdivia raped them, and prosecutors said a third potential victim has come forward. News4’s Paul Wagner reports.
An FBI agent is accused of luring women to his tattoo studio in Gaithersburg, Maryland, before raping and assaulting them, police say.
Eduardo Valdivia, 40, was arrested Monday. Two women came forward to police and said Valdivia raped them inside DC Fine Line Tattoos on Washingtonian Boulevard, investigators with the Montgomery County Police Department said.
Both women said they went to the tattoo studio believing there were modeling opportunities with Exeter Models. The women thought they had been communicating with a woman before showing up to the studio, police said.
One woman told police in October she was raped by a man she knew as "Lalo Brown," police said. A second victim came forward with a similar report in November, according to police. Both women said he sexually assaulted them during filmed modeling appointments and they did not consent, police said.
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Investigators later identified "Lalo Brown" as Valdivia and both women recognized him as their attacker, police said. Valdivia also used the alias "El Boogie," police said.
Police said in a news conference Tuesday Valdivia used the fake names on Instagram and had the women sign modeling contracts he used as blackmail.
"In these two instances, these two victims felt they were held back because they signed a contract to do this type of work and did not come forward about that because whatever was in the contract at the time," Assistant Police Chief Nicholas Augustine said.
Later Tuesday, prosecutors revealed in court a third potential victim had come forward.
Valdivia's attorney, Robert Bonsib, said his client had consensual sex with the women.
"Let 'em bring it on, you know. The first two aren’t victims anymore than, presumably, this third person is gonna be if you read and interpret what's in the statement of charges. That statement of charges does not allege the typical kind of allegations of rape that we see. These women went to a business office in Rio, an open area where they could walk out the door any time they want, and they not only did not walk out the door — they came back," Bonsib said.
Prosecutors said surveillance video captured Valdivia coming out of the tattoo studio with a box after he had learned about the warrant for his arrest. When police searched the studio, they found all of the cameras inside had no SD cards, according to prosecutors.
A judge ordered Valdivia to be held in jail without bond, saying he is a danger to the community and a flight risk.
Investigators are concerned there could be more victims.
"So we want the community to know that no matter if you signed a contract — that does not allow for you to be sexually assaulted. And we want the victims to come forward whether they signed something that says 'confidentiality' or anything like that, to come forward, tell us about it so we can help them and provide closure to them," Augustine said.
Police said Valdivia is the same FBI agent who was acquitted of attempted murder after shooting a man on a Metro train near the Medical Center Station in Bethesda in 2020. He was off duty at the time of that shooting.
Valdivia resumed his job with the FBI after his acquittal and has been working as a supervisory special agent, police said.
Investigators said he did tattoos late at night and on the weekends during his free time.
The FBI Washington Field Office sent the following statement to NBC Washington: "The FBI takes allegations of criminal violations and misconduct very seriously. We are aware of the matter involving the recent arrest of an FBI employee and are fully cooperating with the Montgomery County Police Department. Because this is an ongoing investigation, the FBI cannot comment further. Regarding the employment of Eduardo Valdivia, he is currently suspended pending the conclusion of the Montgomery County Police Department investigation."
Valdivia faces six counts of second-degree rape, two counts of fourth-degree sexual offense and eight counts of second-degree assault.
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