Dennis RomeroUpdated at the bottom with a few more details from the FBI and a possible Facebook connection to the case. First posted at 6:40 a.m.
It seemed like a week or so could go by without another sex abuse arrest of an L.A. Unified School District employee.
Nope.
KTLA News this morning reports that a Fremont High School girls' volleyball coach and teacher's aide, Alain Salas, was arrested by …
… the FBI on Monday.
The accusation?
“Sex crime involving children,” says the TV station.
It's not clear if the victim or victims were students at Fremont, which is in South L.A.
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy was on KNX 1070 Newsradio this morning answering questions about the arrest. He said he was essentially kept in the dark about the FBI's investigation and had “no information” about Salas' case.
“We had a whole era” where sex-crime allegations weren't discussed, he told KTLA, but “this administration — we act on it.”
The arrest comes in the wake of the Miramonte Elementary School scandal in which two teachers have been arrested for alleged sex crimes.
Allegations involving ex-Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt, included in a 23-count case against him by the District Attorney's office, are disturbing.
Two other LAUSD staffers, including a teacher at Hamilton High School in South Robertson, and a janitor at Germain Elementary School in Chatsworth have been arrested based on similar allegations.
Another ex-LAUSD teacher, Paul Chapel, had been arrested last fall, but his situation was only revealed recently by the district. The instructor at Telfair Elementary in Pacoima was charged with sexual abuse and lewd acts on children.
[Update at 1:51 p.m.]: The FBI said its multi-agency SAFE task force, which investigates sex crimes against children, was looking at Salas and made the arrest. It says the L.A. County District Attorney is expected to file charges against him. Here's part of the bureau's statement, sent to the Weekly and other outlets:
On Monday, 2/13, members of the FBI's SAFE Team (Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement) made a probable cause arrest of Alain Salas, 40, a resident of Los Angeles, and an employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Salas is currently being held on suspicion of violating section 288.3 of the California Penal Code: contact with minor with intent to commit a sexual offense.
He's expected in court tomorrow but was being held until then.
Fox 11 News' Gina Silva teased an upcoming report on the case via Twitter, saying:
Facebook is the real reason the LAUSD Fremont coach was arrested by the FBI.. Full story tonight with all the detailed chats. Exclusive.
Strangely, his Facebook page contains this quote:
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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