Ex-Roller Rink Employee May Have Fondled Feet Of More Than 200 Underage Boys
NORTHRIDGE (CBSLA.com) — Owners of a San Fernando Valley roller rink said Thursday they were "surprised and outraged" over allegations that an employee with a foot fetish may have victimized about 200 boys.
Julian Christopher Flores, 19, reportedly admitted to detectives with LAPD's Devonshire Station to taking young boys into a maintenance room at Skateland located at 18140 Parthenia Street in order to remove their socks and rub their feet on his hands or face for the purposes of sexual arousal, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Videos seized from Flores' cell phone shows he instructed several "unknown minors" to take off their socks, including one video in which a boy asks Flores, "Why would you let a 9-year-old who you hardly know put their feet on your face?" according to court documents cited by The Times.
Flores, of Granada Hills, was arrested on Dec. 21 and pleaded not guilty to one count of false imprisonment and one count of an attempted lewd act on a child, The Times reported. He was later released on $150,000 bail.
In a statement, brothers Michael and David Fleming, whose family has owned Skateland for over 50 years, said the incident was the first of its kind involving one of their employees.
"We are surprised and outraged that for the first time in the history of our rink one of our employees was being inappropriate with a customer by touching his feet," the Flemings said. "With close to 10,000 quality part-time employees having worked at Skateland since 1958, this one employee situation is an isolated incident."
Flores is due in court on March 27. He faces up to over eight years in prison if convicted.
Cristy Fajardo, reporting for KCAL9, spoke to co-owner David Fleming.
Flores had been working at the roller rink since he was 16.
"There was nothing in his [Flores'] character, or his personality, that would ever indicate, to anybody, that he was capable of something like that," said Fleming.
He added, "We've never had any questions, concerns from anybody about his behavior."
Police were hoping that by releasing Flores' mugshot, other potential victims might come forward.