Babysitter arrested in sex assault of 4-year-old girl

A San Jose woman and her boyfriend were arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old Sunnyvale girl while babysitting her, police said.

Blanca Torres and Hector Garcia, both 39, were each charged Tuesday with seven counts of lewd acts on a child, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

Torres was babysitting the victim for a friend in Sunnyvale when the assault occurred, said Capt. Shawn Ahearn, a Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The victim was brought to police headquarters by her mother, who suspected the girl was being abused, Ahearn said. It was not clear whether the child had physical injuries or told her mother what occurred, Ahearn said.

Torres and Garcia were arrested Thursday when investigators found child pornography searches in Torres’ cell phone’s browser history. The victim’s mother told police Torres has offered her babysitting services to other families and friends, prompting investigators to search for other potential victims in Sunnyvale or other cities, Ahearn said.

No additional victims have come forward. Anyone with information on the case can call police at (408) 730-7297.

Torres and Garcia were booked Thursday into the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, where they are being held without bail.