BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The mother of a man facing sex charges involving teenage girls defends her son's actions.
Deputies say 28-year-old Tony Searles was throwing parties for underage girls.
Deputies say a 13- and a 17-year-old victim reported that Searles gave them pills and booze and had sex with them.
Deputies say on at least one occasion, Searles had young girls over to his house, forced them to have sex with each other and filmed it.
The victims also told deputies Searles forced them to have sex with another man, and the man paid Searles.
While 23ABC was at the house, Searles’ mom showed up to defend her son.
"My son is not a child molester or anything like that. He does have Playboy, like most men do, but he is not a child molester," April Searles said.
23ABC uncovered an online petition Searles had written in which he rants against child molesters.
"We have to give someone the benefit of the doubt until we know for sure they have been convicted of this," said clinical psychologist Dr. Dean Haddock.
23ABC went to Haddock for insight into why someone accused of being a sexual predator would write something like that.
"It’s possible that a person writes things about the things they don’t want to do, but they feel driven to do it. So they become the one that says, ‘Don’t do this to people,'" Haddock said.
Searles' mom says the accusations were made up by Searles’ ex-wife, who is fighting for custody of the couples' daughter.
Searles is still in jail and will be back in court next Tuesday.