Bay Area council member accused of sexually abusing underage relatives

San Jose City Council member Omar Torres has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly sexually abusing a family member since the late 1990s, when the alleged victim was a child, authorities announced Wednesday afternoon.

Torres was arrested Tuesday evening, hours after he tendered his resignation, San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a news conference Wednesday. According to Joseph, a judge issued an arrest warrant for the council member on charges of lewd acts with a child, forcible oral copulation and forcible sodomy of a child.

The San Clara County District Attorney's Office said the allegations date back to 1999 and involve a relative of Torres. He faces decades in prison if convicted, according to Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Jay Boyarsky.

“People often look askance at victims who make allegations years after a crime,” Boyarsky said in a statement. “As a sex crimes prosecutor, I have spoken to many of these survivors. Let me tell you: you are heroic.”

According to prosecutors, Torres was in court on Wednesday on a felony charge but did not enter a plea. He is due in court for a bail hearing on November 14th.

According to inmate records, he is currently being held at the San Jose Main Jail Complex. No bail was allowed.

A call to an attorney listed as Torres' representative was not immediately returned.

Torres submitted a letter of resignation to the San Jose city clerk's office hours before his arrest Tuesday. However, his resignation did not take effect immediately; Instead, he said he would resign on November 27.

“This decision comes with a heavy heart, but I believe it is in the best interest of my constituents and my community,” he wrote.

Torres did not mention his legal problems in his letter.

Joseph said Torres' accuser contacted San Jose police on Nov. 4 and outlined new allegations against Torres.

The 43-year-old council member was already under investigation by San Jose police for alleged sexual abuse of a minor San Jose in the spotlight reported last month.

That investigation is ongoing, Joseph said.

“We will not release any new information about the status or nature of this case unless it is ongoing,” he said.

A police affidavit from that investigation appeared to show that Torres was being blackmailed by a 21-year-old Chicago man with whom he shared nude photos and explicit text conversations, Spotlight reported. The affidavit said the man threatened to release the photos and text messages unless Torres paid him various amounts of money.

The new allegations, unrelated to the initial investigation, led to an arrest within a day.

“The subsequent investigation resulted in the discovery of evidence that supported the survivor’s claims,” Joseph said.

The police chief added that the alleged assaults began when both were minors and continued when Torres became an adult and the victim was still a minor.

“These allegations are every parent’s worst nightmare,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said at the news conference. “But you don’t have to be a parent to be disgusted by the allegations against Omar Torres, which are among the most serious allegations imaginable.”

It's unclear who will take Torres' place after he leaves.

A call and email to the mayor's chief of staff were not immediately returned.