A judge in California is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting two women within a courthouse and subsequently attempting to hinder the investigation into these claims.

A grand jury indicted California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, on five counts, the Justice Department announced last week.

The indictment claims that during his tenure as a California Superior Court judge, Corona led a 33-year-old courthouse employee into a stairwell where he allegedly assaulted her.

The FBI and court administrators have said Corona lied about some of the circumstances of the incident during separate interviews. 

Prosecutors indicated that Corona also assaulted another person found unconscious in his office in December 2023. According to the indictment, this second accuser, a 43-year-old courthouse staff member, was reportedly alone in Corona’s office for nearly two hours.

Corona is accused of obstructing the sexual assault investigation of the second employee. 

The charges state that Corona misled the FBI by claiming he left the courthouse employee alone in his office while he went to collect a motorcycle. However, prosecutors argue this was false, asserting that Corona even attempted to convince a dealership employee to falsify records, suggesting he picked up his motorcycle at a time that would support his alibi.

Corona has been charged with federal offenses for sexual assault, making false statements to cover up the assault, and obstructing an investigation. 

He faces a potential maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges.