A San Jose official condemns a city council member’s comments during the criminal investigation

The political wrangling over the shocking child sexual misconduct investigation of embattled San Jose District 3 Councilman Omar Torres continues to grow, as one of his colleagues at the podium became the first official to publicly issue a statement of condemnation as the issue is raised , whether this is the case Torres can still effectively represent his constituents.

Although Torres attributed his explicit messages referencing minors to “outrageous imagination and role-playing,” 7th District Councilman Bien Doan said he was “deeply disturbed and appalled” by the graphic details contained in an affidavit A statement was revealed with a search warrant that said Torres texted a young man a description of the genitals of an 11-year-old autistic boy and asked him, “You have any buddies under 18,” while the two were apparently having a sexual affair planned.

“There is no place for this kind of behavior in our government or community,” Doan said, stopping short of calling for Torres’ resignation. “As a father, I strongly condemn reprehensible text exchanges with children. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the vulnerable and uphold the highest standards of integrity in our public officials.”

The criminal investigation began after Torres contacted San Jose police in late August to report that a 21-year-old Chicago man with whom he had had an online sexual relationship for the past two years had been blackmailing and threatening to blackmail him to publish explicit photos and videos unless Torres met his financial demands. Torres told police he estimated he made more than $22,000 in payments to the man he met with at the Democratic National Convention to “discuss their existing relationship and find a solution.”

After the recent $2,500 demand for payment, Torres contacted police, but as the investigation progressed, investigators shifted their focus on Torres from victim to potential perpetrator after uncovering sexually explicit messages with the man in which Torres also included a statement that he had performed oral sex on a 17-year-old boy at an unspecified time.

The affidavit sheds some light on possible criminal exposure, including oral copulation of a minor – a felony – and showing unusual interest in a child, which led Torres to resign from the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.

“Omar Torres must resign immediately and face the consequences for his alleged deplorable behavior, which includes exploiting children for sex, paying hush money to cover up, and detailing his sexual exploits with an autistic child,” said President Steve Slack. “He must resign, and this investigation must also focus on Torres’ colleagues and the city administration and seek answers to these questions; ‘Who knew and when did they know?'”

In a statement to The Mercury News last week, Torres’ attorney Nelson McElmurry said the sexually charged text messages “do not reflect any real actions or intentions and are entirely fictitious.”

Although no criminal charges have been filed yet, more elected officials have begun to put distance between themselves and Torres as details emerge.

Like Doan, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said he was “shocked and disgusted” by the contents of the affidavit.

“The allegations are serious and if true, he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Mahan said last week. “The investigation is ongoing and I trust that the criminal justice system will find out the whole truth.”

An Internet Archive check also shows that candidates running for City Council Districts 2, 6, 8 and 10 in the November election have since removed Torres’ endorsement from their campaign pages.

10th District Councilman Arjun Batra, who could not be reached for comment, was the first to do so the day after reports circulated of police arresting Torres and executing a search warrant for his device passwords.

District 2 Councilman Domingo Candelas, a political ally of Torres, followed suit.

“The allegations against Councilman Torres are extremely troubling and concerning,” Candelas told The Mercury News on Tuesday.

Pamela Campos and Olivia Navarro, candidates for District 2 and District 6 City Council seats, removed Torres’ endorsement from their campaign materials last week after details of the search warrant came to light.

Although Torres has indicated he will fight back against the allegations and try to restore his reputation, he has not been seen in public for the past week and a half, missing several official appearances and raising questions about whether he is effectively governing the district and can represent 3 even if a criminal complaint is not filed.

Torres’ attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to last week’s City Council meeting, Torres missed a VTA board meeting, a meeting of the city’s Neighborhood Services and Education Committee and a news conference where Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced $4.5 million in funding for Spartan Keyes Park in Torres County . He also didn’t show up Friday to the San Jose Downtown Association’s annual meeting, where he was scheduled to speak.

“The allegations in the affidavit are shocking and appalling,” said Alex Stettinski, CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association, when asked whether Torres could effectively represent the downtown area. “The investigation is ongoing and we trust the authorities are doing a thorough job to find out the truth here. In the meantime, SJDA will continue to work with the Mayor, Council and City staff to bring vibrancy and activity to the downtown area. Downtown San Jose will continue to thrive and we will continue to work with our local leaders to make it happen.”

Torres’ absence has forced others to fill in for him at city events with children and families. For example, during last week’s City Council meeting, District 5 City Council member Peter Ortiz stepped in during Torres’ absence to present an award to an organization that supports STEM education.