A jury on Wednesday convicted a 42-year-old transient of molesting two young girls in Santa Barbara.
Matthew Robert Torres, 42, was found guilty of residential burglary, lewd acts upon a child, oral copulation of a child, and forcible lewd acts upon a child.
The crime happened in July 2016. The two girls were seven and five years old at the time and were visiting from the United Kingdom. The family was reportedly renting an apartment in the waterfront area.
Torres broke into the apartment early one morning while the family was still asleep and molested the two children. He was arrested later that day after police spotted a man matching the description of the molester walking in the downtown area.
The two girls involved reportedly testified in Torres’ trial.
“They were remarkably articulate, strong, and brave on the witness stand. Because of their courage and their parents’ support and love, the defendant will never be able to hurt another child again,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley in a statement released Thursday.
Torres is expected to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole when he returns to court in June.
