Former San Jose City Councilman Omar Torres was sentenced today to 18 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in 1999.
Torres, 43, was convicted in April when he pled no contest to three charges: forcible sodomy, forcible oral copulation, and molesting a child under the age of 14. Torres will register as a sex offender for life.
Torres molested the victim for years and only stopped when Torres became concerned he would be caught, according to prosecutors.
Torres served as an elected city council member for downtown San Jose from 2023 until late 2024, when he was charged.
“Today’s sentence holds Omar Torres accountable for perpetrating horrendous crimes against a child,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law, and it is never too late for justice. We admire the victim’s courage to come forward to report the abuse he suffered.”
The victim contacted police last year after public reports about a separate investigation into potential sexual abuse of minors by Torres.
Torres, who had previously served as an elected trustee of the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District, resigned from the City Council in early November 2024.
In a special election in June, Anthony Tordillos was elected to fill the District 3 council seat vacated by the resignation of Torres.
