Not Guilty Plea to O.C. Molestation Charges
An Orange man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he molested his granddaughter’s 7-year-old friend and two other children in incidents that date to 1995, prosecutors said.
Octavio Cortez, 59, a landscaper, faces numerous counts of molestation and committing a sexual and lewd act on a child under the age of 14. He was being held at the Orange County Jail; bail was set at $1 million.
The 7-year-old was playing with Barbie dolls at Cortez’s home Feb. 8 when Cortez allegedly molested her, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Heather Brown.
At a 1998 New Year’s Eve party, Cortez allegedly sneaked into a bedroom and undressed a sleeping 6-year-old to molest her, prosecutors said. The incident was only recently reported after the girl, now 13, told her doctor, who told social services.
And from 1995 to 1997, prosecutors allege, Cortez molested a 4-year-old while he and his wife baby-sat her.
Cortez’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled in June. If convicted on all counts, Cortez could face 270 years in prison.
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