By Mike Hazlip—
An investigation that began when a babysitter overheard a child victim talking about sexual conduct in 2020 has led to the conviction of a 37-year-old man on multiple counts of sexual assault involving seven children over a 10-year time-frame.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in an Oct. 13 statement that a jury convicted Kirby Michael Torres of five counts of committing lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 with force or fear. He was also convicted of 19 counts of committing lewd acts on a child under 14.
Torres used obscene material to encourage the children to participate in sexual acts, the jury found. The crimes involved “great violence or acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness,” the release said. Torres was found to have used “planning, sophistication, and professionalism,” according to the statement.
Citrus Heights Police Lt. Michael Wells told The Sentinel in an Oct. 17 email that investigators opened the case in 2020 after an unidentified individual contacted the department. The victims were known to Torres, Wells said.
The individual contacted police because the incidents allegedly occurred in Citrus Heights, although Wells noted all of the people involved had since moved to other areas. Citrus Heights Police issued a warrant for Torres’ arrest after detectives found he was responsible for “numerous sexual crimes against two juveniles,” according to Wells.
The victims were boys and girls between the ages of three and 13, according to the District Attorney. The crimes were committed between 2010 and 2020, the release said.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation, and a total of seven victims were later identified, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Jail records show Torres was arrested on Dec. 30, 2020, and has remained in the Sacramento County Main Jail.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Matthew Gary on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m., where he faces a maximum sentence of 580 years to life in prison.
