A 63-YEAR-old former teacher is facing federal sex tourism charges after police uncovered that he traveled to the Philippines to have sex with a minor.
Robert Ruben Ornelas, a schoolteacher and girls softball coach from Santa Ana, Calif., was taken into custody by the federal authorities because of charges involving his alleged involvement in sexual conduct in a foreign place, producing child pornography and possessing child pornography.
According to the report, Ornelas went to the Philippines in March 2012 and had sex with a 14-year–old girl. He videotaped the encounter and brought the images back to the United States.
The suspect’s brother, Ross Ornelas called for the attention of the Orange County Sheriff’s Child Exploitation Task Force after discovering numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of different underage girls and boys dating back to 2007.
“I went onto his internet and found lewd things in there, so I went to the FBI,” Ross Ornelas said.
Family of the suspect feared that he might be stealing Social Security and rental payments from his ill mother who he lives with. Brother Ross tried to rummage in the computer of Robert leading him to the uncovering of tons of obscene photos.
The indictment alleges Ornelas of molesting or sexually abusing 10 girls, including a 4-year-old relative from 1990 t0 1995.
Ornelas, however, denied touching “any child” inappropriately.
Charges against him in Orange County led to his arrest in June 2013 on two counts of lewd conduct with a child. He is detained without bail on federal charges and was ordered to appear at an arraignment on November 10.
Federal charges carry a cumulative maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.
(With reports from Inquirer.net and Orange County Register)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend October 1-4, 2014 Sec. A pg.1)
