Former Miami-Dade police officer sentenced to 25 years for molesting young girls
The ex-Miami-Dade cop convicted of molesting three young girls over the span of a decade will soon be shipped off to prison.
Daniel Ramos-Aviles, 42, was sentenced to 25 years followed by lifetime probation by Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez on Tuesday afternoon. In September, a six-person jury convicted Ramos-Aviles of three of seven lewd and lascivious molestation charges for each of the three victims. One of the girls was as young as 4 when she first told her mother that the former officer had sexually abused her.
Two families sat in rows parallel to each other during Tuesday’s sentencing.
One side was filled with supporters of Ramos-Aviles, including his sister, brother and niece.
Directly across from them sat one of his victims—now nearly 18—who was just six years old when the abuse began. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones.
The teen took the stand and told the court that “the abuse invaded my life,” explaining that it drove her into a dark mindset and made her believe she would be unlovable.
At one point, the victim’s mother shushed members of Ramos-Aviles’ family, asking them to stop talking while her daughter spoke.
When the mother later addressed the court, she said Ramos-Aviles does not deserve to be free and remains dangerous because he is surrounded by people who enable him and insist he is innocent.
Wearing a jumpsuit, Ramos-Aviles sat in the jury box, showing little emotion and maintaining a blank look during the sentencing. He potentially faced life in prison.
Attorney Manuel Gonzalez, who is now representing Ramos-Aviles, requested the former cop be sentenced to the minimum — 25 years — followed by a lifetime of probation. Gonzalez said Ramos-Aviles, who worked at the then-Miami-Dade Police Department for just under 10 years, “led an exemplary life without committing any crime.”
Ramos-Aviles was fired after he was arrested and charged in October 2023.
READ MORE: Former Miami-Dade police officer guilty of molesting young girls, jury says
During closing arguments, prosecutor Bronwyn Nayci emphasized how Ramos-Aviles abused children for years — recounting the girls’ testimonies. The three girls took the stand during the trial and detailed how Ramos-Aviles performed sexual acts on them and exposed himself during hide-and-seek games.
“He took advantage of the fact that I was very vulnerable,” another of his victims said during Tuesday’s sentencing while appearing on Zoom.
The victims that spoke asked for Ramos-Aviles to receive the maximum life sentence. A victim’s mother later said that while she would have preferred a life sentence for Ramos-Aviles, she is satisfied with the 25 years and trusts the justice system.
Defense attorney Scott Kotler argued that the case was poorly investigated, with detectives “in such a rush to reach a conclusion” they targeted Ramos-Aviles despite a lack of physical evidence, texts or confession.
But after years of abuse and a 25-year sentence his victims are now ready to move on.
“I want to finally be free,” the now 17-year-old said during the sentencing.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 4:42 PM.
