Pomona City Councilman arrested on child pornography allegations

A Pomona city councilman has been accused of “child annoyance or molestation” and possession of child pornography, authorities said Friday.

Rubio Gonzalez, 45, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of “possession of child sexual abuse material and annoying or molesting a child,” said Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Gonzalez did not respond to an emailseeking comment. Risling declined to elaborate on the nature of the allegations or what led to Gonzalez’s arrest.

In a statement, city spokesman Mark Gluba said officials have not been able to contact Gonzalez and were not aware if he planned to resign from the City Council in the wake of the arrest.

“While it is important to allow the legal system to determine his guilt or innocence, we are stunned and deeply concerned by Mr. Gonzalez’ arrest and the extremely serious nature of the criminal allegations,” the statement said.

Late Friday, Mayor Tim Sandoval issued a statement saying he intends to call for a special meeting of the City Council to discuss legal options regarding Gonzalez’s status as a council member.

Having him remain on the Council “while he faces these serious charges will present a distraction” as city leaders work toward reopening the city during the coronavirus crisis.

Jail records show Gonzalez was booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s San Dimas station Thursday morning and released on $20,000 bond later that day.

Risling said formal criminal charges had not been filed as of Friday afternoon. Gonzalez is set to make his first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday.

Gonzalez, who was elected in 2016 to represent Council District 1, has lived in Pomona for more than 35 years and works for the local school district, according to his biography on the city’s website. Gonzalez describes himself as a “substitute teacher” on his personal Facebook page.

He has also worked for “several school districts” in Texas and California, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to the City Council’s website.