Minor told police DeKalb man sexually assaulted them over 100 times, killed pet birds: Records

SYCAMORE – A 51-year-old DeKalb man was charged Thursday after a minor told police that the man allegedly sexually assaulted them more than 100 times for multiple years and stomped the minor’s pet birds to death, according to court records.

Police began investigating the alleged assaults on June 20, one day after the victim was reported as missing to DeKalb police. The minor was found by St. Charles police at a relative’s house, authorities wrote in court records filed Thursday.

The minor told authorities they ran away because they “couldn’t take it anymore,” police wrote in court records.

Luis E. Torres-Flores was charged with four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse – all Class X felonies. He also was charged with felony intimidation, records show. If convicted, he could face a natural life sentence, authorities said.

The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a motion asking a judge to deny release to the man, arguing doing so would endanger the public and victim.

“We are ultimately dealing with an individual who has brutally killed this child’s pets right in front of [them] and has threatened to beat [them] to death,” Prosecutor Nick Rude said Thursday during Torres-Flores’ initial court appearance.

The minor, now a teenager, told DeKalb police that Torres-Flores began sexually abusing them about 10 years ago. The minor said they were most recently sexually assaulted on June 17.

Police said the minor provided photographs of the alleged assaults. Some items shown in the photos were also found during a DeKalb police investigation Wednesday after a warrant search of Torres-Flores’ home, records show.

DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick said that those photographs helped police in their investigation, and her in a ruling to keep Torres-Flores in jail pending trial. He’s also prohibited from contacting minors.

“The synopsis that is filed in this case is extraordinary in that it is extremely detailed and extremely lengthy,” Buick said Thursday. “There are many items that are corroborated in this case already.”

On Wednesday, DeKalb officers said they witnessed a conversation where the minor asked Torres-Flores “if he was sorry for the things he did,” police wrote in court records. Torres-Flores “stated that he was sorry,” to the minor, police said.

As prosecutors read aloud the police report Thursday, Torres-Flores, who used a Spanish interpreter during the hearing, could be seen repeatedly shaking his head.

Authorities said that Torres-Flores allegedly threatened the minor if they didn’t comply with his sexual demands, according to court records. The minor told police that Torres-Flores would punch and kick them, was verbally and physically abusive, withheld hygiene products, and threatened to kill them and a relative if they told anyone about the assaults.

On some occasions, Torres-Flores allegedly acted violently toward animals, records show. He took the minor’s two parakeets, threw the birds’ cage on the ground and stomped on the animals, killing them. The victim told police he made the minor bury the birds’ bodies in a yard. He also would often strike dogs with a stick, police wrote in court records.

Chicago-based defense attorney Aaron Korson argued that Torres-Flores should be released.

“We understand that my client has been charged with a series of deeply serious offenses,” Korson said, but argued that Torres-Flores didn’t have any criminal history and would attend all his court hearings. Buick ruled in favor of prosecutors. Torres-Flores remains held in DeKalb County jail pending trial.

He’s expected to appear for arraignment at 9 a.m. July 16.