A jury has convicted a supervising janitor at the Palo Alto VA Hospital of sexually abusing his coworker, federal prosecutors announced today (Feb. 3).
Onofre Salas-Lozano, 42, of Palo Alto, isolated and trapped a coworker in an exam room and forced her to engage in sexual activity late at night on July 2, 2021.
At the time, Salas-Lozano was the coworker’s direct supervisor, prosecutors said.
“Salas-Lozano used his position as a supervisor to sexually assault a fellow employee,” United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey said in a statement today.
During the investigation, Salas-Lozano lied to a VA Office of Inspector General special agent when he denied having sexual intercourse with his coworker, Ramsey said.
At a trial, Salas-Lozano testified they had consensual sex.
Salas-Lozano was charged in April 2023. The case went to trial on Jan. 13 with Judge Edward Davila, and the victim was the first person to testify.
The jury reached its guilty verdict on Friday in San Jose, court records show.
Salas-Lozano was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse by fear, and making false statements to a federal agent during an investigation.
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