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Middle School Teacher Accused of Molesting Three Students
Photo by ben+sam via Flickr
A middle school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District has been arrested and charged with several counts of child molestation and battery involving three female students.32-year-old Jason Leon was arrested today and is accused of molesting two 13-year-old girls and one 14-year-old girl at his place of work, Gaspar De Portola Middle School in Tarzana, according to City News Service. Two of the three girls attended the school at the time of alleged molestations last June.
Leon taught history and communications at Portola until last June, when he was removed from his duties at the campus and an investigation launched into the allegations. At the time, Leon was reassigned to the LAUSD's main office.
The investigation began when one of the 13-year-old girls came forward saying Leon had touched her inappropriately. Three days later, a second 13-year-old girl also brought forward similar accusations. A third teen girl said she, too, had been touched inappropriately by Leon in 2010 when she was 14.
The suspect, who will likely face arraignment Tuesday, is charged with four counts of child molestation and three counts of battery. According to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, if convicted, Leon could face up to 5 1/2 years in jail and $26,000 in fines.
In 2011, another Portola teacher was arrested on charges he molested a student several years prior at another Valley middle school.
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