Former FBI agent sentenced to 80 years for raping three women at tattoo studios in Maryland.

A former FBI agent, Eduardo Valdivia, has been sentenced to 80 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting three women at various tattoo studios in Maryland. The sentencing, which took place on Tuesday, concluded a distressing case that exposed the manipulative tactics used by Valdivia to exploit his victims.

Eduardo Valdivia, 41, was arrested in November 2022 after two women reported instances of rape at the tattoo studio he owned, DC Fine Line Tattoos, located in Gaithersburg. Authorities revealed that Valdivia, who had served as a supervisory special agent with the FBI for over a decade, had lured his victims under false pretenses of offering free tattoos and modeling opportunities. According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, his actions exemplified a calculated approach to deception that ultimately led to the assault of multiple young women.

The investigation began when the first victim, identifying Valdivia by the alias “Lalo Brown,” came forward in October 2022, detailing a brutal encounter at the tattoo studio. The second victim provided similar testimony the following month, indicating that she, too, had been raped under the guise of modeling opportunities. Both victims were misled into believing they were communicating with a fictitious female psychologist named Dr. Tiffany Kim, a name which Valdivia had adopted as part of his deception.

Shortly after the initial arrest, a third victim reported a similar assault, describing an incident that occurred at a different tattoo studio in Potomac in October 2022, when she was only 18 years old. This alarming pattern of predatory behavior prompted a thorough investigation by law enforcement.

Following an eight-day trial that concluded on July 18, 2023, a jury found Valdivia guilty on six counts of second-degree rape and two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault. In addition to the lengthy prison term, he will serve 20 years of the sentence suspended, followed by five years of probation.

This case has drawn significant attention to the issues of manipulation and deceit, especially given Valdivia’s background as a trained FBI agent. Montgomery County State Attorney John McCarthy emphasized the severity of the crimes, noting the extensive use of deception employed by Valdivia to gain the trust of his victims. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that in 2021, Valdivia was previously charged with attempted murder related to an off-duty shooting incident on a Metro subway train; however, he was acquitted of those charges in December 2022.

This case not only underscores the failures in judgment by an individual in a position of authority but also highlights the vulnerabilities of individuals targeted by such deceitful tactics. The lasting impact of these crimes on the victims and the community remains a critical point of concern for advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies alike.