LAUSD Employee Of After-School Program Accused Of Sexually Abusing Students In Gardena
GARDENA (CBSLA) — A Los Angeles Unified School District employee accused of sexually abusing as many as five students in an after-school program will make his first court appearance Friday.
Daniel Ayon, 39, was arrested Wednesday and faces sexual abuse charges in connection with one student, but authorities say he may have as many as five victims. LAUSD officials say Ayon was removed from an after-school program called Beyond The Bell where he worked as a supervisor for two years when allegations surfaced in April.
After one child came forward, Gardena police investigators to start questioning students at Amestoy Elementary School in Gardena. Students who came forward said Ayon touched them inappropriately, according to police.
The sexual abuse may have started in December, but the allegations did not surface until April. One man said his son was molested by Ayon, and only came forward after another allegation.
"You know as a parent, when you drop off your kids at school, you think they're well taken care of," he said. "You think there shouldn't be much things to worry about. Everybody involved is adults, they have a responsibility. And you know, I would never think that. Realizing what happened, it definitely opened my eyes, and it really hurts."
In a statement, LAUSD said it is taking the allegations seriously and cooperating fully with the police investigation.