California Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 19 Students
Los Angeles, CA – An elementary school teacher is accused of sexually abusing 19 students and one adult. Robert Pimentel has been charged with 15 felonies and is expected to be charged with related misdemeanors.
The 57-year-old teacher spent 35 years in the classroom. The investigation into the alleged 20 sexual assaults began in March. Pimentel had been teaching fourth-grade at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School, Fox News reports.
An 11-year-old student told My Fox LA that Robert Pimentel would try to “rub up” against her classmates. Several students told their parents about the alleged sexual assaults by the teacher, prompting police officers to look into the matter, WPTV notes.
School officials removed the Los Angeles teacher from the campus once the sex abuse allegations came to light. School district representative Daryl Strickland noted that both parents and the state educational agency had been informed of the ongoing investigation.
Robert Pimentel’s arrest is just one of many such incidents involving Los Angeles area teachers. A group of more than 225 students and parents are involved in a damages suit against Miramonte Elementary School. Teacher Mark Berndt was arrested on 23 counts of lewd conduct. Berndt is pleading not guilty to feeding his students semen-laced cookies. The alleged incident supposedly included the students being photographed during the “tasting game.”
Last month a jury ordered the Mid-Wilshire School District to pay a student $6.9 million in damages. The 10-year-old boy was reportedly molested multiple times by teacher Forrest Stobbe. The Queen Anne Elementary School teacher’s bail has been set at $12 million and he is awaiting an arraignment date.
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