Salt Lake City (ABC 4 News) 23-year-old Julio Cesar Ortega was charged with attempted sexual abuse of a child, not once, but twice - with the same 11-year-old girl in 2007. While we should know where he is today, right now authorities say they have no idea where he could be. Steve Gehrke, with the Utah Department of Corrections says, "Sometimes they just pick up and leave without a trace. So we are left to track them down through contacts, family, neighbors and things like that. So far, we haven't been successful - so that's why we are looking for the community to help find him."
Gehrke says Ortega is on the Utah Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry, but he is non-compliant. So, you can see his photo and get some information about his offenses, but no one knows where to actually find him. I asked Gehrke why they are focusing on Ortega right now? His response, "Anytime there is a sex offender out there in the community- who we know hasn't completed sex offender therapy - that's a concern because these people are more apt to re-offend."
Gehrke says Ortega's so called change of heart shortly after his arrest makes him even more concerned. "When he first had contact with law enforcement he was very compliant with them, very understanding and seemed like he was very regretful for his crime. But then suddenly he disappears and suddenly he's not interested in being compliant with probation officers."
ABC 4 is taking action to try to change that. While we don't know what type of vehicle he is driving today, we do know the vehicles he had when he disappeared. A 1993 red Ford Explorer and a 1990 red Chevrolet S10 pickup. Ortega is described as 5'-4", 245 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is also bi-lingual - speaking Spanish and English.
Gehrke is hoping someone in Utah will recognize him or remember something that will lead officers to Ortega. And he fears what might happen to another child if he isn't caught.
By the way, Gehrke says 94 percent of sex offender in Utah are actually compliant. Ortega is the exception - not the rule. For more on this case and other most wanted cases visit the UDOC site:
http://corrections.utah.gov/services/most_wanted.html
