Crime & Safety

North OC Man Charged With Sexual Assault And Torture Of Children

The suspect is being held on $1 million bail and is facing felony charges for the sexual assault, torture and abuse of minors.

CYPRESS, CA — A 40-year-old Cypress man was behind bars today awaiting arraignment on felony charges of torturing a boy, sexually assaulting a girl and abusing two other minors.

Douglas Michael Alba was charged Aug. 3 with one count each of torture, child abuse and endangerment, four counts of corporal injury on a child, and two counts each of sodomy by force of a child 14 or older, sexual penetration of a child older than 14, lewd acts on a child 14 or 15, and attempted forcible oral copulation of a minor 14 or older. He also faces a sentence enhancement for allegedly inflicting great bodily injury on a victim.

Co-defendant Jennifer Stewart was charged with a felony count of being an accessory after the fact. She posted bail on Friday and was released.

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It was not clear what relationship Douglas and Stewart have or what relationship they may have to the two boys and two girls.

Alba allegedly abused the children for about a year. The alleged abuse was uncovered when the 10-year-old boy who Alba is accused of torturing was taken to an area hospital last month with black eyes, bleeding on the brain and bruises all over his body, according to prosecutors.

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Cypress police arrested Alba on Aug. 1. He faces up to 30 years to life in prison if convicted as charged, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Alba, who's being held on $1 million bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 24 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.