SJ community reacts to Councilmember Torres being investigated in alleged sexual misconduct

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose City Councilmember maintains his innocence as he is the target of an alleged sexual misconduct probe.

Our partners at the Bay Area News Group reported that Omar Torres is accused of wrongdoing involving sexually explicit material and an alleged relationship with a minor.

Allegations Torres said in a statement are unfounded: "I want to be absolutely clear -- these accusations are entirely false. I fully cooperated with the San José Police Department, including providing my passwords without hesitation, as I have nothing to hide. It is disheartening that my family, partner, team, and I have to confront such defamatory and baseless claims."

PREVIOUS STORY: SJ Councilmember Omar Torres responds to being served warrant for child sex misconduct

Members of neighborhood associations in downtown San Jose say they are shocked to learn about serious allegations within City Hall.

San Jose Downtown Assoc. President Alex Stettinski telling us in a statement: "I have been working with Councilmember Torres since he assumed office and even prior and have had a great professional relationship with him. He has always been supportive of Downtown San Jose and passionate about the success of the district. I cannot speak to any of the accusations as I don't know him outside of our professional relationship, but I can say it would seem greatly out of character from how I know him."

Councilmember Torres was pulled over on his way to the VTA meeting he was scheduled to attend Thursday and was detained and questioned by San Jose police.

San Jose police would only confirm that an investigation is underway involving "a member" of the council, but did not says whether it's Torres, or reveal any details about the case.

They called the investigation "active" and "ongoing."

Torres's lawyer says police asked him to hand over electronic devices and passwords, but gave no information about the reason for the investigation.

However, our media partners at the Bay Area News Group report that this is a criminal investigation into alleged sexually explicit material and a relationship with a minor.

Torres did not appear at a press conference Friday announcing federal funding for a new park in the downtown district that he represents.

His Chief of Staff left without comment and Mayor Matt Mahan was asked if he had any advanced notice of the allegations.

"No, and I can't comment on it any further because it's an ongoing investigation and we have to let our detectives do our jobs," Mahan said. "I know our police department is working very hard to get to the truth."

Truth that legal analyst Steven Clark says may take time to find in a complex investigation.

Torres's statement said the accusations come from misinformation provided to law enforcement in retaliation for a police report he filed against an individual for extortion and stalking.

Clark says what's found on Torres' devices will indicate who is right and who is wrong.

"Was there child sexual abuse material?" Clark asked. "Were there inappropriate pictures exchanged or inappropriate conversations? What was said between the parties? What was the intent of those comments? That will be very key here."

Torres says his office remains open as the investigation continues.

"These attempts to discredit me are troubling, but they will not deter my dedication to our community," Torres stated. "My office remains fully operational, focused on serving each constituent with the responsiveness and care they deserve."

Torres was elected in 2022 as the first openly gay Latino member of the City Council.