Vidal Torres, 48, faces four counts of lewd molestation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop in Daytona Beach faces accusations of molesting a 14-year-old girl, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said that the scoutmaster — identified as Vidal Torres, 48 — was a friend of the girl’s family and an assistant scoutmaster in her Boy Scout troop.
In a release, deputies said the family learned Torres had “sexual contact” with the girl and reported the issue to the sheriff’s office last month.
After an investigation confirmed the allegations, deputies secured a warrant and tried to arrest Torres at his workplace, the release shows.
Vidal Torres, 48 (Volusia County jail)However, deputies learned upon arrival that Torres had left for at least a week due to a “family emergency,” investigators said.
Detectives said they were eventually able to locate and arrest Torres a few days later when he returned to the area. The sheriff’s office released body-worn camera footage of the arrest, which shows deputies asking Torres about the arrest.
“You have no inkling of why you are in a pair of handcuffs, standing out here in the cold?” one deputy could be heard asking.
“Is it because of the text messages?” Torres responded.
According to the release, Torres was taken into custody without incident and confessed during an interview with investigators.
The release also notes that the molestation didn’t happen at the sanctioned Scout events.
Torres faces charges of unlawfully using a communication device and four counts of lewd molestation. He is held on no bond.
News 6 reached out to the Boy Scouts of America for a statement and is awaiting a response.
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