Teh One Who Knocks
02-06-2013, 12:15 PM
Mega 94.9 FM News
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TARZANA (CNS) A Tarzana middle school teacher was arrested today and charged with multiple counts of child molestation and battery involving three middle school girls, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office reported.
The girls -- two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old -- were students at Gaspar Portola Middle School, 8720 Linnet St., at the time of the alleged abuse last June, according to the City Attorney's Office.
Jason Leon, 32, was being held at the Van Nuys jail in lieu of $35,000 bail, according to sheriff's jail records. His arraignment was not immediately set, but will be tomorrow at the earliest, according to city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan.
Leon is charged with four counts of child molestation and three counts of battery. If convicted, he could face up to 5 1/2 years in jail and $26,000 in fines, Mateljan said.
An investigation began on June 15, the last day of class, when one of the 13-year-old girls reported that her teacher had allegedly touched her inappropriately. Three days later, the other 13-year-old came forward to allege that she had been touched inappropriately on June 15 as well as several days earlier.
Allegations were also made by a third student, who claimed to have been similarly abused by Leon on several occasions in 2010, when she was 14 years old, according to the City Attorney's Office.
"Working with LAPD and the school district, this office will aggressively prosecute adults who prey upon our children,'' City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said. ``Our schools should be one of the safest of places in the community for our children, and I will do everything within my authority to ensure their safety.''
This is just the latest arrest of a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher on charges of molestation. Robert Pimentel, 57, a former fourth-grade teacher at Wilmington's George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School, was arrested Jan. 23 and faces sex-related counts involving a dozen children.
Former state Sen. Martha Escutia -- now a partner at an Irvine Law firm that represents dozens of children allegedly molested by teachers at Miramonte Elementary School in South Los Angeles -- has filed suit against the district and called for an independent investigation of what she believes is disproportionate sexual abuse of Latino students by LAUSD teachers.
Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt -- who allegedly took photos of blindfolded and gagged students with a roach on their faces or spoons of semen held to their mouths -- remains jailed in lieu of $23 million bail, while Miramonte teacher's aide Ricardo Guevara is serving a prison term of 15 years to life.
Paul Chapel, who taught at Telfair Elementary in Pacoima, was sentenced Sept. 20 to 25 years in prison.
Kip Richard Arnold, 51, a former Southwest Middle School physical education teacher, was sentenced Dec. 17 to four years and four months in prison for committing lewd acts with a 14-year-old girl. Arnold made headlines by careening his pickup truck over an embankment during a July 10 police chase related to the allegations.
On Dec. 18, a 14-year-old former LAUSD student was awarded $23 million in damages for sexual misconduct he endured at the hands of elementary school teacher Forrest Stobbe. The LAUSD was apportioned 30 percent of the fault in that case, according to the boy's attorney.
LAUSD officials are conducting a comprehensive review of how sexual abuse allegations are handled, and an attorney for the district says addressing misconduct is a priority.
"The school district is committed to providing a safe environment for students to learn and thrive,'' LAUSD General Counsel David Holmquist said Jan. 29, the day Escutia's firm filed suit.
http://i.imgur.com/a15KOTS.png
TARZANA (CNS) A Tarzana middle school teacher was arrested today and charged with multiple counts of child molestation and battery involving three middle school girls, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office reported.
The girls -- two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old -- were students at Gaspar Portola Middle School, 8720 Linnet St., at the time of the alleged abuse last June, according to the City Attorney's Office.
Jason Leon, 32, was being held at the Van Nuys jail in lieu of $35,000 bail, according to sheriff's jail records. His arraignment was not immediately set, but will be tomorrow at the earliest, according to city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan.
Leon is charged with four counts of child molestation and three counts of battery. If convicted, he could face up to 5 1/2 years in jail and $26,000 in fines, Mateljan said.
An investigation began on June 15, the last day of class, when one of the 13-year-old girls reported that her teacher had allegedly touched her inappropriately. Three days later, the other 13-year-old came forward to allege that she had been touched inappropriately on June 15 as well as several days earlier.
Allegations were also made by a third student, who claimed to have been similarly abused by Leon on several occasions in 2010, when she was 14 years old, according to the City Attorney's Office.
"Working with LAPD and the school district, this office will aggressively prosecute adults who prey upon our children,'' City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said. ``Our schools should be one of the safest of places in the community for our children, and I will do everything within my authority to ensure their safety.''
This is just the latest arrest of a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher on charges of molestation. Robert Pimentel, 57, a former fourth-grade teacher at Wilmington's George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School, was arrested Jan. 23 and faces sex-related counts involving a dozen children.
Former state Sen. Martha Escutia -- now a partner at an Irvine Law firm that represents dozens of children allegedly molested by teachers at Miramonte Elementary School in South Los Angeles -- has filed suit against the district and called for an independent investigation of what she believes is disproportionate sexual abuse of Latino students by LAUSD teachers.
Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt -- who allegedly took photos of blindfolded and gagged students with a roach on their faces or spoons of semen held to their mouths -- remains jailed in lieu of $23 million bail, while Miramonte teacher's aide Ricardo Guevara is serving a prison term of 15 years to life.
Paul Chapel, who taught at Telfair Elementary in Pacoima, was sentenced Sept. 20 to 25 years in prison.
Kip Richard Arnold, 51, a former Southwest Middle School physical education teacher, was sentenced Dec. 17 to four years and four months in prison for committing lewd acts with a 14-year-old girl. Arnold made headlines by careening his pickup truck over an embankment during a July 10 police chase related to the allegations.
On Dec. 18, a 14-year-old former LAUSD student was awarded $23 million in damages for sexual misconduct he endured at the hands of elementary school teacher Forrest Stobbe. The LAUSD was apportioned 30 percent of the fault in that case, according to the boy's attorney.
LAUSD officials are conducting a comprehensive review of how sexual abuse allegations are handled, and an attorney for the district says addressing misconduct is a priority.
"The school district is committed to providing a safe environment for students to learn and thrive,'' LAUSD General Counsel David Holmquist said Jan. 29, the day Escutia's firm filed suit.