Ex-Northridge skating rink employee held in foot fetish incident

An employee of a Northridge roller rink with a self-described “foot fetish” told police he repeatedly took young boys into a maintenance room and had them remove their socks and rub their feet on his hands or face to sexually arouse himself, court documents say.

Julian Christopher Flores, 19, said he engaged in that behavior at Northridge Skateland with about 200 boys over the course of a year, court records show. Flores’ statement to police came a day after one boy told his grandmother about an encounter in the maintenance room, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Following the interview at LAPD’s Devonshire Station, police seized Flores’ cellphone and laptop and found videos in which he instructed several unknown minors to remove their socks, the court documents allege. In one video, a boy asks, “Why would you let a 9-year-old who you hardly know, put their feet on your face.”

Flores, who no longer works at Skateland, has been charged with one count of false imprisonment and one count of an attempted lewd act on a child, court records state. He has pleaded not guilty.

Los Angeles police served a search warrant on Northridge Skateland in January and are attempting to identify victims who were patrons from May 1 through Dec. 21 of last year.

Skateland general manager Courtney Bourdas Henn said she had not notified customers on her own because LAPD officials asked that she not do so while their investigation is ongoing.

Henn said Skateland “deeply regrets” the incident and “we are fully cooperating with the LAPD.”

The incident that led to Flores’ arrest occurred on Dec. 21. He approached a young boy who was skating at the rink on several occasions, attempting to befriend him, according to court records.

He told the boy, “I bet you can’t take your socks off without using your hands,” according to court records.

Flores then told the boy to meet him by the men’s room. Once there, Flores unlocked an adjacent maintenance room and ushered the boy inside, the affidavit states. He placed the boy atop a washing machine and removed his roller skates.

Flores then heard the victim’s name being called from outside the maintenance room door. He became alarmed, turned off the lights and told the boy to be quiet, the affidavit states. Flores left the room; the boy emerged later.

The boy’s grandmother said she allowed him to go the restroom but became concerned when he seemed to be taking too long, according to court records. She began shouting his name and went into the men’s room to look for him, but couldn’t find him.

Shortly thereafter she saw Flores appear in a walkway, according to the documents. Her grandson appeared about a minute later and wasn’t wearing his skates. The boy, whose name was redacted in court documents, then told her about the incident.

Flores admitted his role in the incident and told police that, had they not been interrupted, he would have had the victim “rub his feet on his hands and that he was going to play with” the victim’s feet, the affidavit states.

Flores, who faces a maximum of eight years and four months in prison if convicted, is free on $150,000 bail, a district attorney’s spokesperson said. He has been ordered to stay away from the boy and his family. His next court date is set for March 27.

Flores’ defense attorney, Valerie Lopez, declined comment.

The prosecutor, Deputy. Dist. Atty. Elena Abramson, declined comment through a spokesman.

Police have asked that anyone with information contact LAPD Det. Daniel Aguirre at 213-486-0580 or, after hours, 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

scott.glover@latimes.com

Times staff writer Scott Glover contributed to this report.