A San Jose city councilmember who once claimed he was being extorted is now being investigated for allegedly soliciting explicit pictures from a minor, according to a report.
Omar Torres, who was elected in 2022, contacted police in August alleging a Chicago resident named Terry Beeks had been extorting him "for a long time." Torres told law enforcement he sent $22,000 to Beeks because he threatened to release nude photos and videos of the councilman and allegedly harassed Torres's partner and staff members if he was ignored.
Law enforcement then contacted Beeks who presented them with a slew of text messages and pictures he exchanged with the councilman since they met online three to four years ago.
In one exchange, Torres told Beeks he "sucked a student in the control room" at a college, according to the San Jose Spotlight.
"Black 17 year old and boom," Torres wrote. "9.5 inches at 17."
Another series of texts revealed Torres asked Beeks to masturbate during his work commute and later shared a picture of an 11-year-old boy, who Torres claimed was his "autistic son" despite the councilman not having a son. They then started discussing the child's penis and pubic hair.
"He is like daddy lol he already has a big penis haha," Torres wrote, according to the filing obtained by San Jose Spotlight.
Later, Torres asked Beeks if he has "any homies under 18."
Police used the texts and images to obtain a search warrant. Torres was compliant and gave police his computer password because he said he has nothing to lose.
The councilman denied the "baseless" allegations and said in a statement shared to his Facebook page that he is the victim.
"It's heartbreaking that my family, my partner, my team and myself have to respond to such unfounded and defamatory allegations," he wrote. "While these attempts to discredit me are deeply troubling, they will not deter my commitment to you and our community."
Regarding his government position, the San Jose Police Officers' Association issued a statement demanding Torres resign and police investigate his fellow council members.
"Omar Torres must resign immediately and face the consequences for his alleged wretched behavior that includes exploiting children for sex, paying hush money to cover it up, and detailing his sexual exploits with an autistic child," Steve Slack, president of the police union, said, according to San Jose Spotlight. "He must resign, and this investigation must also focus on Torres' colleagues and on city management and seek the answers to these questions; Who knew, and when did they know it."
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