A children's clown performer faces sex abuse charges involving two girls under 10, authorities said.
Gualberto Torres-Vargas, 37, of Huntington Beach, faces felony counts, including sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years old or younger, oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger. He also faces a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing lewd acts upon multiple victims, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
If convicted, Torres-Vargas could face 175 years to life in state prison.
It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
At the time of the crimes, he worked as a clown performer on the weekends, prosecutors said. He did not meet his two victims while working as a clown, officials said.
Torres-Vargas is accused of meeting 9-year-old Jane Doe 1 and 5-year-old Jane Doe 2 between Nov. 1, 2014 and Nov. 9, 2015.
Jane Doe 1 reported the crime to her mother, who then contacted the Huntington Beach Police Department, who investigated this case.
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NBC4 LA has reached out to the Huntington Beach Police Department but have not received a response.
Torres-Vargas was initially charged on Nov. 23 with five felony counts for sexually assaulting Jane Doe 1, but the complaint was amended to reflect charges pertaining to Jane Doe 2 and three additional charges pertaining to Jane Doe 1, prosecutors said.
"During the investigation, we found evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he sexually assaulted Jane Doe 2," said Orange County District Attorney Spokesperson Roxi Fyad.
Anyone with additional information or who believes that they may have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Mark Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.
