Southland Sex Crimes Case Nets Another Teacher Arrest

For the fourth time in the last few weeks, a teacher from the Los Angeles school district has been arrested in connection with a molestation charge, the Associated Press is reporting.

Proving a Westminster sex crime can be a challenge, especially when the witnesses have credibility issues. In molestation cases, that typically means the allegation is groping or unwanted touching, meaning that DNA evidence likely isn't available.

While these are sensitive cases to handle, an experienced Westminster criminal defense attorney is able to look at all the evidence provided by the state and plan a strategy to defend the client. Any charge involving an alleged sex crime is major for the suspect and can not only cause them to face criminal penalties, but also a loss of reputation, possible job loss and other problems upon arrest.

The California Criminal Defense Attorney Blog reported recently that two teachers from a Los Angeles elementary school have been arrested and charged with various sex-related crimes. In one case, a veteran teacher is accused of 23 felony charges in connection with employing some strange tactics, including blindfolding students and feeding them strange substances. Authorities allege he fed children his bodily fluid on a spoon.

A second teacher from the school is accused of fondling a student. Both of these cases have led district officials and parents to question how these things could have happened. At this point, these teachers have only been arrested, not convicted. It's unclear whether police have any proof other than student allegations.

Now, the Associated Press is reporting that more teachers have been arrested. In cases where allegations are made inside a school, it's common for additional allegations to be made. In some cases, there may be credibility to the charges, but that might be lacking in other instances.

Police detectives have a difficult task of listening to these allegations and trying to decipher if students are telling the truth or just trying to get revenge or cause trouble. Or, if students make allegations, there may not be enough proof to bring charges. All of these are factors that go into a detective's decision to make an arrest.

Unfortunately, sometimes officers don't have much proof. Their case may hinge on an allegation only, yet they will still make an arrest. This is scary because it means that any person may end up in the cross hairs of an allegation. An arrest can ruin a person's life, even if it's untrue.

According to the news article, a high school teacher's aide has been charged with having sexual contact with a 15-year-old student. The 40-year-old is charged with contact with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense.

Along with the two elementary school arrests, a janitor at a San Fernando Valley elementary school was recently arrested and charged with suspicion of committing a lewd act with a child on campus after the student's mother contacted police.

Authorities aren't releasing additional details at this point. The Associated Press reports that none of the alleged crimes were connected, however.