Police said two girls, ages 13 and 16, were placed in protective custody after officers found them in a hotel room.
VANCOUVER, WA — A 20-year-old active-duty U.S. service member was arrested June 24 after police said officers found two teen girls and three teen boys in a Vancouver hotel room registered in his name.
Andrew Guerrero has been charged with six counts of second-degree rape of a child and two counts of first-degree trafficking, Vancouver police said. The case became public July 1, when the department said detectives were still investigating how Guerrero met the teens, brought them to the hotel and allegedly exploited the two girls. Police said the girls, ages 13 and 16, were placed in protective custody after officers responded.
Police said the case began when the Vancouver Police Department received information that several juveniles were staying at a hotel with an adult man who was reportedly having sex with teen girls there. Officers went to the room June 24 and found three juvenile males and two juvenile females inside. The room was registered to Guerrero, who police described as an active-duty U.S. military member temporarily working in Portland, Oregon.
Vancouver Police Department officers and Children’s Justice Center detectives later learned Guerrero met the teen victims about a month earlier through social media, police said. After messages were exchanged, Guerrero met the teens in person and began spending time with them. Investigators said the contact later led to the teens living with him in the hotel room. Police said Guerrero “developed a relationship with the girls and began exploiting them sexually.”
Police said detectives learned Guerrero had filmed sexual acts involving the girls through social media apps and had supplied the teen victims with alcohol. Court records described by local news outlets said the girls initially said they were 18. After his arrest, Guerrero allegedly admitted having sex with both girls after learning their ages and admitted recording or photographing sex acts. Investigators also found images of the 13-year-old on Guerrero’s phone, according to those records.
The hotel was identified in local reports as a Homewood Suites by Hilton in Vancouver. One woman who said she had stayed in the area for extended periods told a Portland television station she noticed police cars at the hotel but did not hear sirens. “I just saw the cop cars parked,” Brenda Tyo said. She said she was shocked by the allegations and did not believe the case reflected the broader hotel community.
Police have not released the names of the minors, their home cities or details about the three teen boys found in the room. The department also has not said whether investigators believe there may be other victims. Police said further analysis of Guerrero’s phone and social media accounts was pending. The department said nothing more would be released while the investigation continues.
Washington law defines second-degree rape of a child as sexual intercourse with a person who is at least 12 but younger than 14 when the accused person is at least 36 months older. The charge is a class A felony. State law also lists first-degree trafficking as a class A felony when a person is accused of recruiting, harboring, transporting or maintaining another person under circumstances involving sexual exploitation, including conduct involving minors.
The military branch involved was identified in local reporting as the U.S. Navy. Police said Guerrero was temporarily working in Portland, while a television report said he was primarily stationed in San Diego. The U.S. Navy and Military Sealift Command said in a statement that they “maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual misconduct” and that such allegations are taken seriously.
The Vancouver Police Department framed the case as an online exploitation investigation. Public affairs manager Kim Kapp said adults need to know who children are communicating with online, while noting that not every case involves an adult pretending to be a child. Peter Carrillo, prevention and community engagement director at Liberty House, said online offenders may first present themselves as friends or helpers before crossing boundaries.
Guerrero remained accused, not convicted, as the criminal case moved forward in Clark County. Police said the two girls were in protective custody, and detectives were continuing to review digital evidence and social media records. No additional case updates had been released by the department as of July 3.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.