A 59-year-old Manteca man has been jailed on child sexual abuse charges that investigators believe began when the youngest victim was only six years old. 

Joseph Danny Robles Jr. was taken into custody early Wednesday morning on a host of felony charges including oral copulation and sexual penetration with a minor younger than 10, oral copulation and sexual penetration with a minor older than 10, committing a lewd act with a child under the age of 14, and continuous child sexual abuse.  He was also charged with misdemeanor annoying or molesting a child under 18. 

According to Manteca Police Department Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Detective Stephen Schluer, officers learned about the abuse in May but were unable to affect an arrest for several months because the suspect was hospitalized with outstanding health conditions. A warrant was secured, and he was taken into custody early Wednesday morning without incidence. The children were removed from harm during that period of time. 

He was also charged with an outstanding warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol. 

According to Schluer, Robles was a family friend when he met the three young girls – who were 6, 10 and 14 at the time. He molested them over the course of the next three years. 

He is currently being held in the San Joaquin County Jail on $775,000 bail. No future court date has been scheduled. 

In late July Manteca detectives arrested Russell Wayne Otto, a 58-year-old Manteca resident, on similar charges. Otto, who used his position as a family friend to gain the trust of the children he’s accused of molesting, is being charged with forcible lewd acts upon a child, continued sexual abuse of a child and oral copulation. He is currently being held at the San Joaquin County Jail on $4.5 million bail.