Mom, family charged in sex assaults
Affidavits tell story of siblings' 'particularly horrible' abuse as kids
By Judi Villa, Rocky Mountain News
Published December 1, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
Photo by /Special to the Rocky
Eric Torrez
Photo by /Special to the Rocky
Linda Torrez: Most of the charges allege complicity in the sexual assault of a child.
Photo by /Special to the Rocky
Patrick Torrez: Most of the charges reflect failure to stop the sexual assault of a child.
Photo by /Special to the Rocky
Karen Stillman left her children in the care of the Torrez family when she was homeless.
The first rape, she said, was when she was 12.
The man massaged her back and legs, kissed her and fondled her and then had sex with her.
This became routine, happening every week, when the rest of the family went bowling. She got pregnant at 14. Two more children followed.
And still the rapes continued. For nine years. Finally, in September, the woman, now 21, fled to Kansas. In November, she contacted Denver police.
Last week, Eric Torrez, 46, was charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a child. Torrez's wife, Linda, 45, and son, Patrick, 22, also are accused of sexual assault.
And the victim's mother, Karen Stillman, 57, is accused of knowing about the abuse and doing nothing to stop it.
Authorities say the 21-year-old woman wasn't the only victim. Her brother also was repeatedly sexually assaulted for several years, they say.
"This is particularly horrible, both for the duration, the number of years, that these two children were abused and for the number of family members involved," said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney's office.
Arrest affidavits tell the story, starting when the girl would have been about 9. It's unclear from available records how old her brother was.
The children went to live with the Torrez family in 1996 at their mother's request, after they became homeless. The woman told police she started her menstrual cycle at age 10 and the Torrezes told her that "she was a woman."
The woman said that over the years she routinely was forced to have sex with Eric Torrez. "She remembered Eric telling her that he should not be doing it, but he loved her and she was beautiful," the arrest affidavits say.
Even after Linda Torrez found out that her husband was the father of the girl's first child, the abuse continued. The victim said she had sex with Linda once and that Linda Torrez watched her husband have sex with the girl.
When she was 15, the woman said, Patrick Torrez raped her. "She has lived in (a) cycle of sexual abuse and physical abuse from the age of 10 years old," the arrest affidavits say.
Most of the charges against Linda and Patrick Torrez allege that they failed to stop the abuse, as do the charges against Stillman.
"We are accusing (Stillman) of knowing about the abuse and continuing to allow it to happen," Kimbrough said.
In an interview with police, Stillman stated that "unfortunately she did" have children and that she was desperate when she asked Eric Torrez to care for them. She continued to see her children once or twice a week.
Stillman told police that when her daughter was 12 or 13, she went to wake Eric and found the girl "sitting on him." Eric, she said, was "sound asleep" with his shorts down and her daughter was partially unclothed.
When asked what she did about it, Stillman told police she told her daughter to "get down, get him decent."
"She said she told her not to do it again because it was disgusting," the affidavit says.
Stillman said she talked to her daughter about it and the girl "promised she would not do it again."
The affidavits do not detail the sexual abuse involving the brother. Both children are now in their 20s and fled the home together.
The Torrezes have been released on $50,000 bonds. Stillman is still in custody.
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December 1, 2008
1:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
ifyem writes:
Man, this is some of the most hideous looking trash I have ever seen!! May they rot in jail...
December 1, 2008
1:34 p.m.
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DallasKing94 writes:
disgusting rot in hell
December 1, 2008
1:37 p.m.
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LingLingfor_prez writes:
I think they are already rotting by the looks of it, let them rot some more.
December 1, 2008
1:56 p.m.
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windskull writes:
This is seriously messed up but did anyone notice it happened 13 years ago and one of the guys they arrested is 22 meaning he was 9 at the time the alleged incident occurred? Considering the statute of limitations has long since expired it sounds like authorities just want to rid the neighborhood of these people
December 1, 2008
2 p.m.
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hillbillygoth writes:
nice that they had no problem coming up with $50K each to bond out. most likely they either steal, sell drugs, or both.
December 1, 2008
2:05 p.m.
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TIMMAH writes:
I don't know...Linda's kind of cute.
December 1, 2008
2:26 p.m.
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Lknight writes:
The statute of limitations for child sexual abuse is 6 years from the date the abused child turns 18, so as long as neither of the abused kids are more than 24 they can press charges....just an fyi
December 1, 2008
2:32 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
In a country where 2 000+ babies are killed daily through abortion - the term "child abuse" loses all meaning.
December 1, 2008
2:32 p.m.
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nanbede writes:
Damn!!!! What a bunch of nasty looking people. If I am right, these guys will spend the rest of their lives in jail for the sexual abuse on children. You think anyone in the jail is gonna want any one of these sleeze bags for a boyfriend/girlfriend? Yuk - whoa!!
December 1, 2008
2:33 p.m.
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dmy303 writes:
OMG! I used to go to grade school with the son Patrick! They were always an odd family from what i remember! I also remember seeing Patrick at high school and he always gave me the creeps!! So scary! I am trippin out!
December 1, 2008
2:46 p.m.
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OldSailor writes:
This reminds me of the "Peacock Family" in the X-Files
Home" is the second episode of season four of The X-Files. A newborn's corpse with a large number of birth defects is found in a shallow grave . Mulder and Scully travel to the rustic small town of Home, Pennsylvania, where they find evidence of an unspeakable crime. Three brothers who live on their family farm are the products of a century of constant inbreeding by their family in an attempt to remain 'pure'. The mother, who lost her limbs in a car accident, continues to try and breed with her sons in an attempt to keep the family line going. In the end, two of the sons are killed while the third escapes with his mother. The final scene, along with a voiceover of the mother, emphasizes that despite all that has happened, the son and mother will continue trying to rebuild the Peacock family.
December 1, 2008
2:50 p.m.
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IRUNMAN writes:
Such strong family values.
Hetero marriage, the only way to go! ( SARCASM )
December 1, 2008
3:13 p.m.
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hillbillygoth writes:
to cowboy63...your attempt to compare the abortion of an unborn fetus to YEARS of sexual assault, is ridiculous.
December 1, 2008
3:35 p.m.
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Oh_Wise_One writes:
hillbilly- you are right, abortion is worse.
December 1, 2008
3:44 p.m.
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HankReardon writes:
Funny, no mention that these folks are homosexuals. Maybe that's because they aren't. They are perverted heterosexual predators. Hmmm, I guess there is a difference.
December 1, 2008
3:51 p.m.
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elkman writes:
I don't think the article mentioned if the guy was abusing a young girl or a young boy. So, HankReardon (what a name), you may be guessing all wrong. So your judgement may be completely wrong.
December 1, 2008
3:54 p.m.
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Coffee_Mug writes:
A bullet right between the eyes for these "winners." How that for meaning Cowboy.
December 1, 2008
4 p.m.
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HankReardon writes:
Oh sorry Elkman, it must be my 'gay agenda' coming out again.
These people are the worst kind of folk, no matter what their orientation may be.
December 1, 2008
4:04 p.m.
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elkman writes:
I agree. They look to be in-bred.
December 1, 2008
4:09 p.m.
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RockLobster writes:
OldSailor, I saw that X-Files episode years ago but still have instances where it crosses my mind and get a major case of the willie's!!!
December 1, 2008
4:37 p.m.
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ShadyGrady writes:
No way do I believe this nice-looking family could be guilty of such crimes.
December 1, 2008
4:39 p.m.
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redwhiteandBLUE writes:
Disgusting, filthy nasty people..ALL of them !!!
December 1, 2008
4:50 p.m.
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arvada_mark writes:
OldSailor, I vaguely remember that X-Files episode. It's been a long time. Honestly, I was thinking more along the lines of "The Hills Have Eyes." You know, the nuclear family.
December 1, 2008
5:26 p.m.
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scootertrash writes:
They look like a wholesome American family, you know like the Cleavers on Leave it to Beaver.
December 1, 2008
5:59 p.m.
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LovelandGuy writes:
wowowowow
they scare me
December 1, 2008
6:25 p.m.
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chapatrick writes:
There is slime in this gene pool. Needs a good flushing. I'm sure they will be given more consideration by the law than they gave to their victims. God help the kids having nightmares over the years of these sick b------- climbing on them. HORRIBLE!!!
December 1, 2008
7:23 p.m.
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WHATRIGHTS writes:
In all seriousness....I don't understand, the mother is being charged for leaving her children with these people, is the person who left Chandler with his abusers/murderers being charged for leaving him in that home?
December 1, 2008
7:24 p.m.
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EZBakeOven writes:
Stupid people should not be allowed to procreate.
December 1, 2008
7:27 p.m.
agzela writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
December 1, 2008
8:26 p.m.
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PaleoConservative writes:
Take these registered Democrats straight to prison!
December 1, 2008
8:32 p.m.
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seeingeyeseesall writes:
Too bad this entire family wasn't aborted... now we'll have to feed and house this garbage for years.
December 1, 2008
8:55 p.m.
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DenverTea writes:
Windskull, you didn't read it accurately - the girl was 9 years old 13 years ago, when her mother left her with this family. The abuse started later than that with the parents, and the the son Patrick didnt abuse the girl until their teens - he was 15 she was 14 I think. So, it was over a long period of time.
December 1, 2008
11:14 p.m.
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Uno writes:
sick
December 1, 2008
11:39 p.m.
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bottomofclass writes:
A tragedy and it was endured for all that time by the young victims. At least an abortion which is horrible would have ended their suffering. Religious zealots should give to charities who help victims like this instead of condemning abortion. Maybe there wouldn't be so many abortions if the religious people supported a charity to help people who do not choose abortion.
December 2, 2008
12:56 a.m.
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Noia writes:
Stillman told police that when her daughter was 12 or 13, she went to wake Eric and found the girl "sitting on him." Eric, she said, was "sound asleep" with his shorts down and her daughter was partially unclothed.
That's why the mother is being charged. She knew what was happening and didn't tell anyone and continued to let her children be abused for years.
Their an odd bunch alright but just remember a "Cleaver" looking family could do the same thing.
December 2, 2008
6:52 a.m.
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leroypaula writes:
If you look at the pitchers, you will know why they had to rape someone. The are ugly to the tenth power.
December 2, 2008
7:10 a.m.
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slocatch writes:
To think they might be out of jail someday. A chip needs to be implanted for future tracking.
December 2, 2008
7:18 a.m.
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incognitoboy writes:
Oh_Wise_One writes:
"hillbilly- you are right, abortion is worse."
so don't have one.........
December 2, 2008
8:32 a.m.
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06concept writes:
Shoot them!!
December 2, 2008
9:05 a.m.
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law1 writes:
To Rocky: Why did we need the description of how a 12 year-old was sexually assualted? I'm sure Judi really wanted the byline, but spare us the lascivious details.
December 2, 2008
9:22 a.m.
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Clarence_Boddicker writes:
Someone needs a boot party........
December 2, 2008
11 a.m.
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BigRedCelt writes:
Cowbow, Oh wise one, paleoconservative...I sit in awe of your absolute stupidity
December 2, 2008
11:12 a.m.
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T1anda writes:
Ugly, stupid, predators all the way!! I've looked at people like these fabulous four time and time again. Of course I had to pay admission and stand away from the cage.
December 2, 2008
11:39 a.m.
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soccer_mama writes:
About 2 months ago, there was a story on cbs, about a mom who performed oral on her baby boy. she went to court the 20th of nov. why isn't that story in this paper? alicia lee......disgusting
December 2, 2008
12:04 p.m.
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RockLobster writes:
It was, soccer_mama. And the outrage on these boards was pretty much the same as with this story.
December 2, 2008
12:08 p.m.
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soccer_mama writes:
Nothing since the initial story, nothing about what happened at court.
And, not that I remember, I'm sure I will be corrected. But Niveah, charges were dropped against both mom and b/f. Investigation closed?
I guess I just need some kind of closure on stories......forgive my sillyness
December 2, 2008
12:27 p.m.
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wow writes:
The girl got pregnant at 14, and 2 more children followed??
How was this not caught at the time? Did the girl get medical care during that first pregnancy? No nurse, doctor, social worker or teacher ever heard a little warning bell go off, or looked askance at these scumbags?
Utterly unbelivable.
I hope she and her little ones have a shot at a future, and the cycle of irresponsibility to the children in that family ends with her.
And even more than the animals who did this to her, I hope her mom rots slowly. Homlesness is no excuse to dump your kids with trash, and knowingly leave them to suffer.
I'm so disgusted with every aspect of this, there is no starting point.
And cowboy--- That child abuse remark is in the top 3 most ignorant remarks I have ever read on these boards. And that's saying something. Keep up the good work.
December 2, 2008
1:22 p.m.
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RockLobster writes:
You're not being silly at all, mama. I too would like to know what happened in that case and hope to see some followup.
I'm with you, wow. I find it real hard to post to these types of stories since it's so far from my ability to grasp that these unthinkable acts actually occur!
December 2, 2008
2:49 p.m.
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fiesty writes:
Cowboy/Wise One- until now, I did not realize how WARPED you were. The fact that you could even remotely compare abortion to such horrific child abuse (repeated rapes over years!) shows exactly how twisted you are, and proves you are blind, unthinking fanatics/zealots. Your type of mentality leads to the hypocritical bombing of abortion clinics. You give me the creeps.
I hope the daughter gets into counseling; I can only imagine how scarred she is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm also with wow- did a teacher never see her pregnant and inquire, did she never see a doctor who wondered? How could she have a child at TWELVE, and then two more!!, with no one noticing??
December 3, 2008
7:48 a.m.
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slocatch writes:
Not so uncommon for 3rd world standards.