Counselor faces sex charges
A counselor for a children’s home was scheduled to be arraigned today on charges of sexually molesting six boys in his office while they were phoning their families abroad.
Victor Salazar, 26, of Santa Ana is accused of molesting the 15- and 16-year-old boys while working at Florence Crittenden Home on Harbor Boulevard, a shelter for children living in the U.S. without parents either because the parents have been deported or the children entered the country alone.
Between May 25, 2007, and February 5, 2008, prosecutors allege, Salazar fondled or orally copulated each boy while he was making a personal call to his family in South or Central America.
The allegations came to light after one of the alleged victims complained, prompting the others to come forward. They said they hadn’t reported the incidents earlier because they feared deportation or loss of privileges.
If convicted, Salazar -- who is free on $100,000 bail -- could face up to 10 years in state prison.
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-- David Haldane
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