San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres was taken into custody on Tuesday night in connection with an unrelated case of sexual assault involving a minor.
He has faced scrutiny and missed council meetings for a month, as demands for his resignation have intensified lately.
Omar Torres made his first public appearance in a month, wearing a brown jumpsuit from the Santa Clara County Jail.
Only his hand, handcuffed, was visible to reporters as it hid behind a courtroom wall.
Torres has been charged with serious offenses following his arrest on Tuesday for inappropriate conduct involving a minor, including oral copulation and sodomy.
“These allegations are every parents’ worst nightmare,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said. “But you don’t have to be a parent to be sickened by the charges against Omar Torres, which are some of the most serious, charges imaginable.”
The allegations arise from a swift investigation initiated after a family member of Torres reached out to law enforcement on Monday, claiming he was a victim of sexual assault by the San Jose councilmember nearly two decades ago.
A victim stepped forward while Torres was under investigation for sexual misconduct related to another case involving a minor.
In October, Torres reported to the police about someone who was supposedly extorting him. Authorities subsequently looked for proof that the relationship was both improper and unlawful.
After a month, the recent events resulted in Torres being incarcerated.
A police report reveals that Torres expressed remorse for his actions involving a relative who was only 13 years old at the time.
In a police report, Torres stated that he was a victim of sodomy at the age of seven or eight, attributing that experience as a reason for his abusive behavior.
“The alleged assaults started when both the survivor and Torres were minors and continued after Torres became an adult, but while the survivor was still a minor,” San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said.
Nelson McEmurry, Torres’ lawyer, expressed surprise at Torres’ arrest and mentioned that he is currently reviewing the evidence following his client’s initial court appearance on Wednesday.
In the separate investigation regarding sexual misconduct, Torres refuted any allegations, claiming that the sexually explicit messages concerning acts with a minor were merely fantasy and role play.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Jay Boyarsky commends the survivor for stepping forward to help guarantee that Torres will not harm anyone again, even after all these years.
“The courthouse doors will not be slammed in their faces,” Boyarsky said.
“We can take their case to court in front of jurors and the facts of this particular case allow us to charge the case, not withstanding whatever statute of limitations would’ve been back at that time.”