Half Moon Bay: 70-year-old man arrested, charged on suspicion of molesting child relative decades ago

HALF MOON BAY — A 70-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of molesting a relative in Half Moon Bay about 30 years ago, according to authorities.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday morning that the office had begun an investigation into San Francisco resident Manuel Cortes in June 2022. Officials said the man sexually assaulted a family member under the age of 14 over a three-year period, but they did not release any further details about the allegations.

San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said Wednesday that his office will charge Cortes with one count of child molestation for sexually penetrating a child 10-years-old or younger. He said the crime took place between Jan.1, 1991 and Feb. 6, 1995, as the victim couldn’t remember the exact date of the alleged assault.

Wagstaffe added that he would face up a potential life sentence for sexually penetrating a child 10-years-old or younger if the crime took place today, but since the law didn’t exist in the early 1990s, he’ll face a maximum of eight years in prison.

Officers arrested the man on Tuesday in San Francisco and he was booked into Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on a no-bail warrant. He’ll be arraigned in Redwood City on Wednesday afternoon.

Sheriff’s officials said they did not know if there might be other potential victims, considering the length of time that had passed since the alleged crimes.

The Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who may have information about this case to contact Detective Cousenes at 650-363-4066 or email RCousenes@smcgov.org, or contact Detective Chong at 650-599-1516 or email GChong@smcgov.org.