California, June 2: A California man has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy with autism during a therapy session in the United States. The accused, a behavioural therapist, has been identified as Salvador Armando Arriaga (32). He has been charged with one felony count of committing a lewd act on a child under 14, in addition to an allegation that he went into the child's home with the intent to molest him in September 2024.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office press release dated May 28, the alleged incident occurred during a therapy session at the victim's home in Garden Grove, Orange County, California. It is also learned that the accused was employed by Behavioural Health Works in Anaheim. If convicted, Arriaga will face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. US Shocker: Inmate Coerces 11-Year-Old Girl Into Performing Sexual Acts, Records Video Call Inside Jail in Pennsylvania.

At present, he is being held in lieu of USD 1 million bail. According to the DA's office, the accused had conducted multiple sessions with the teenager. On the day of the incident, September 18, 2024, Arriaga was at the victim's home to provide him with behavioural therapy as he had done several times in the past. During the alleged incident, the accused conducted a therapy session with the minor boy in his bedroom while the victim's father was in the living room looking after another child.

The prosecutors claimed the victim's father observed that his son and the therapist had gone quiet for some time. This is when the minor boy's father entered his son's bedroom to see what was going on. When the victim's father opened the door of the walk-in closet, he was shocked to find his son with his pants down, the therapist on his knees, and his head near his son's lap. US Shocker: Nurse Loses License Over Moral Breach After Allegedly Engaging in Sexual Acts With 15-Year-Old Stepson in Florida.

When confronted, the accused tried to escape through a bedroom window before running out the door. Post this, the victim's father immediately called the Garden Grove police. Later, Arriaga returned to the victim's house wearing a different shirt. The police immediately detained him on suspicion of lewd acts on a child. Meanwhile, the Orange County DA's office has urged people with information about Arriaga or any other potential victims to contact Garden Grove police Detective Sindy Orozco.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2025 09:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).