Huntington Beach man who worked as party clown gets 38 years in prison for child molestation

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif (KABC) -- A man who worked as a part-time clown at children's parties was sentenced to 38 years in prison for sexually assaulting two girls in Huntington Beach.

Gualberto Torres-Vargas, 40, pleaded guilty to felony counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, sodomy by force of a victim younger than 14, rape and lewd or lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14.

His victims were two girls ages 9 and 5. The molestations happened in November 2014 and 2015, according to court records.

Prosecutors said Torres-Vargas did not meet the victims through his clown job, and that he lived near the girls.

City News Service contributed to this report.