Disgraced gay former San Jose city councilmember Omar Torres pleaded no contest April 8 to sex charges. The plea came on the same day that voters in his former district are choosing his replacement.
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Torres, 43, had pleaded not guilty in a court appearance last month that had set a preliminary hearing for April 28; but attorneys were attempting to reach a settlement.
Torres had represented District 3, encompassing downtown San Jose, from 2023 until his resignation at the time of his arrest November 5, 2024. What began as an investigation into separate lewd text messages and potential sex crimes led a cousin of Torres to come forward with allegations he’d been abused from 1990-1999. According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office, the criminal charges against Torres involved alleged acts from November 25, 1999 – about a month after Torres turned 18 years old.
Prosecutors contend the molestation began when the victim was 4 years old and Torres was a teenager.
“It is heartbreaking that someone elected to represent and serve thousands of San Jose residents had previously molested a small child,” stated Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen in a news release. “Children are vulnerable and precious, and my office will do everything in our legal power to fight for their safety and fully prosecute those who hurt them.”
Specifically, Torres pleaded no contest to sodomy and oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace or fear, and lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under the age of 14.
Torres’ sentencing will be at “a later date,” the release stated. (His next court hearing is still listed as April 28 in the online Santa Clara County Sheriff inmate lookup tool.) He faces prison time and lifelong registration as a sex offender.
Elected in 2022, Torres was the first gay person of color to serve on the San Jose City Council, and only its second out councilmember. A longtime political aide in the South Bay and Democratic Party leader, Torres previously served as an elected member of the board of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District. The council's District 3 seat includes the Qmunity LGBTQ district and much of downtown San Jose.
A special election is being held Tuesday (April 8) to fill Torres’ term in the District 3 seat. Among the leading candidates is Anthony Tordillos, a gay man who is chair of the San Jose Planning Commission.
The Qmunity District and the office of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan didn’t immediately return requests for comment for this report. Silicon Valley Pride declined to comment April 8.
Torres’ attorney also didn’t return a request for comment.
Updated, 4/8/25: This article has been updated to indicate Silicon Valley Pride declined to comment.
