Clown charged with sex assault on kids in California
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A man who worked as a clown on weekends was charged Friday with sexually assaulting two young girls, and authorities are asking for the public's help identifying more potential victims, CBS Los Angeles reports.
Gualberto Torres-Vargas, 37, of Huntington Beach, California, faces 10 counts of sex-related charges involving two girls under the age of 10.
Torres-Vargas was charged on Nov. 23 with assaulting a 9-year-old between Nov. 2014 and Nov. 2015. The complaint has since been amended to reflect additional charges involving a second victim, a 5-year-old.
At the time of the crimes, Torres-Vargas worked as a clown performer on the weekends and had access to children, Orange County District Attorney's officials said.
Torres-Vargas did not meet the girls through his work as a clown and was not related to them, but did live in close proximity, Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Marlatt said.
If convicted as charged, Torres-Vargas faces a maximum sentence of 175 years to life in state prison.
Anyone with more information in the case or who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Mark Gutierrez at 714-347-8794.