Watsonville council member steps down over sexual abuse accusations

A Watsonville City Council member is resigning after being accused of sexual abuse.

According to the Register-Pajaronian, two women wrote letters alleging Oscar Rios sexually abused them in the late 1980s, claiming he inappropriately touched and groped them.

On Monday night, Councilman Rios released the following statement to KION:

“I have read the statements distributed today by Shiree Teng and Liz Bean. I do not recall some of the events mentioned in those statements and I remember others from a different perspective. Nevertheless, I will not defend my conduct.”

“Many years ago I engaged in behavior that upon reflection was inappropriate. I am deeply sorry to hear that my conduct has caused pain and anger to demonstrably good people. It saddens me to know they bear scars from those encounters.”

“I believe that the work that I am doing today and throughout my career is good work that has benefited our community. Also, I know that I have grown, reflected, learned, and changed my behavior over the last thirty years. However, I also believe that elected officials must stand for and represent the highest standards of conduct in our community. I have dedicated my life to the improvement of the City of Watsonville and my community and do not want to become a distraction or to hold back the progress of our city or my constituents in any way. I believe in the MeToo movement. I stand in solidarity with the MeToo movement and support the empowerment of all who suffer from harassment, assault, and oppression. If I want to honor those who have stepped forward, I need to and am willing to take responsibility for the impacts I have had on others. I will not stand in the way of and will do what I can to support their healing. For this reason, I have made a decision to resign from the Watsonville City Council effective immediately.”