UPDATE: Laguna Beach Businessman Charged with Sexual Assault

Correction: Earlier versions of this story misspelled Maralan's first name. The correct spelling is Saeid.

UPDATE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 13: Maralan was released from jail after posting $1-million bail. .

UPDATE, THURSDAY SEPT. 8, 4:20 P.M.: Story changed to correct Maralan's job title, according to the District Attorney's office ... Maralan is the manager of the store, not the owner.

UPDATE, TUESDAY SEPT. 6, 11:45 a.m.: The Orange County District Attorney's office has charged Saeid Boustanabadi Maralan, 53, manager of the Sirous and Son Rug Gallery on Ocean Avenue in downtown Laguna Beach, with sexually assaulting three women, including forcibly raping one, and showing pornography to a minor.

The alleged attacks all took place inside his business, according to a release from the DA's office.

The charges include one felony count each of forcible rape, attempted forcible rape, sexual penetration by foreign object by force, and distributing pornography to a minor with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing a sexual offense against more than one victim. If convicted, Maralan faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life in state prison. Maralan is being held on $1 million bail and is expected to be arraigned today, Tuesday. The bail amount is high due to the nature of the criminal accusations.

Here are details released by the DA's office regarding each alleged victim. The DA does not publicly release the names of sexual assault victims.

Jane Doe #1
On April 10, 2010, 40-year-old Jane Doe #1 went to the rug store as a customer with her mother. While the victim’s mother filled out paperwork at the front of the store, Maralan is accused of leading Jane Doe #1 to the back of the store and into a small closet. He is accused of grabbing and kissing the victim and then pulling his pants down to his ankles. As Jane Doe #1 turned to get away and had her back to the defendant, Maralan is accused of pulling down the victim’s pants, grabbing her buttocks, and pushing his penis against her buttocks in an attempt to rape her. Jane Doe #1 was able to push the defendant away from behind her, and Maralan is accused of then digitally penetrating the victim. He is accused of turning Jane Doe #1 to face him, pulling down her shirt to expose a breast, and licking and sucking the victim’s breast and nipple. The victim was able to pull away and Maralan is accused of masturbating toward Jane Doe #1 and ejaculating. Jane Doe #1 reported the sexual assault to LBPD that day.

Jane Doe #2
Jane Doe #2, 23, was an employee in Maralan’s store. On May 15, 2010, Maralan is accused of asking the victim to follow him into a storage room and grabbing her wrist to pull her toward him. Jane Doe #2 attempted to pull away but was unable to break the defendant’s grasp. Maralan is accused of undoing his pants and removing his erect penis, turning the victim away from him, pushing her against a stack of rugs, and pushing her head down with his hand. While standing behind the victim, Maralan is accused of forcibly raping the victim and then removing his penis to ejaculate in a napkin. Jane Doe #2 told a friend about the rape that night and reported it to LBPD the following day.

Jane Doe #3
Jane Doe #3, 17, was an intern at Maralan’s store. On March 3, 2011, the defendant asked the victim several inappropriate sexual questions about the number of men she’d had sex with, if she had ever been sexual with a woman, and if she liked being kissed. Maralan is accused of instructing Jane Doe #3 to look at his computer screen under the pretense of showing her a picture of a female who looked like the victim. He is accused of instead showing her a pornographic website featuring naked men and women. Jane Doe #3 immediately walked out of the store, locked herself in her truck, and drove home to report the incident to her mother and LBPD.

Jane Doe #4
On Aug. 13, 2011, 25-year-old Jane Doe #4 went to Maralan’s store for a job interview. Maralan is accused of asking the victim for a hug and a kiss on the cheek and closed mouth, and pressing his erect penis against her through his clothes when she complied. Maralan is accused of repeatedly asking Jane Doe #4 to have sex with him and offering her $500 for sex. He is accused of rubbing his penis over his clothing as he asked for sex, but the victim continually refused. He is accused of giving the victim another hug, pulling her against his body and erect penis, and refusing to let go as she tried to pull away. After letting go, Maralan is accused of attempting to reach between the victim’s legs. Jane Doe #4 reported the sexual assault to LBPD that day.

None of the four victims know each other.

Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at 714-347-8794 or LBPD Detectives Natalie Leal or Julia Bowman at 949-497- 0377.

ORIGINAL POST: Laguna Beach detectives on Thursday morning arrested Saeid B. Maralan, 53, at , the Ocean Avenue business he owns, and charged him with allegedly showing pornographic images to a 17-year-old girl.

"In early March, a young woman came into the police station and said that she was working as an intern" at the rug gallery, said Lt. Jason Kravetz of the Laguna Beach Police Department. The girl had started her internship at the end of February.

"She told us that (Maralan) had brought her to a backroom and showed her pornographic material on a computer," Kravetz continued. "She was very specific as to what images she was shown, so we executed search warrants on March 4, took computers, and sent them to a crime lab. They matched up the dates and times with the images."

It is also alleged that Maralan touched the girl inappropriately inside the business.

After initial booking in Laguna Beach, police transported Maralan to a county jail facility. Bail for Maralan was originally set at $500,000, but Kravetz says that figure has since been increased to $1 million due to other sexual assault cases involving Maralan.

Police are seeking information from any other victims, and request calls be made to LBPD detectives Natalie Leal or Julia Bowman at 949-497-0377.

Laguna Beach Patch will have more on this story as it develops.