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Murrieta middle school teacher arrested for sexually abusing two minors

CBS News Live
CBS News Los Angeles Live

A Murrieta middle school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing multiple minors nearly a decade ago and police are now searching for more potential victims. 

Wayne Conklin, a 50-year-old Murrieta resident and teacher at Thompson Middle School, was arrested on Wednesday, according to the Murrieta Police Department. 

Investigators were made aware of the allegations on July 16, according to MPD's statement. 

They were able to determine that Conklin "had allegedly committed sexual abuse against two minor children in 2016," according to police. 

He was booked at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center where he is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. 

On Friday he was charged with lewd or lascivious acts on a child younger than 14, continual sexual abuse of multiple victims and discouraging a witness or victim from reporting to police, all felonies. 

In a statement provided to The Los Angeles Times, Murrieta Valley Unified School District officials placed Conklin on unpaid administrative leave upon his arrest. It also says that he not allowed on school district property. 

A since-deleted profile of Conklin on the Thompson Middle School website said that he taught at the school for more than two decade after receiving a degree from California State University, San Marcos. 

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