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San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres arrested
San Jose City Councilman Omar Torres was arrested on Tuesday in connection to an ongoing child sex crime investigation. Mayor Matt Mahan says without representation, the city council will likely make an appointment or hold a special election for a District 3 representative.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Disgraced San Jose councilmember Omar Torres will remain behind bars as he awaits trial on charges of child sex abuse.
A judge denied Torres' request for bail on Thursday.
The District 3 councilman was arrested on election night and faces three counts of sodomy and oral copulation of a child stemming from alleged crimes that took place more than a quarter-century ago, authorities said.
An adult survivor recently came forward after seeing media coverage of an ongoing investigation of Torres for alleged child sexual abuse. Those separate allegations of child sex abuse have not led to criminal charges.
San Jose Councilman Omar Torres' arrest stems from child sex crime allegations in 1990s, police say
The police chief and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, detailing the allegations and next steps for Torres' city council seat.
The police report in the child molestation case detailed a phone conversation between Torres, his victim, and his victim's wife. At one point, Torres said, "He was an easy target...I hurt him a lot of ways [by raping him]." When asked how many times the crimes occurred, Torres said, "I would say about 20 to 25 times....I'm just dealing with my own....situations of being molested and raped. This is as ugly as it sounds...I am so sorry man. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Investigators said the crimes started in 1990 when the victim was four and Torres was nine, and continued until the victim was 13 and Torres was 18.
Experts said the statute of limitations in this case doesn't apply because of the nature of the alleged crimes.
Torres resigned from city council after his arrest. However, his seat does not become vacant until Nov. 27. City officials said he's been stripped of all official powers and assignments afforded to councilmembers.
Plans to find his replacement have taken shape with former suitors for the seat showing renewed interest in serving the district, which includes downtown, Japantown, and the Hensley neighborhood, among others.
"I've been very active, especially in downtown and other parts of District 3. So my enthusiasm for improving San Jose has not diminished," said former council candidate Elizabeth Chien-Hale.
"We need somebody that's 100% behind D3. Because in the past, there have been folks that have used D3 as a platform to get to the next job. And lots of times D3 has been left behind," added former council candidate Irene Smith.
Smith has urged the city council to hold a special election to fill Torres' seat.
"The city charter gives us two options, a special election or an appointment. I personally prefer a special election. I think it's fundamental to our American democracy," Mayor Matt Mahan said previously.
The mayor said the council will take up the issue at its Nov. 19 meeting. A six-vote majority of nine members is needed to pass either option.