Music teacher charged with sexual assault of 10 students
Instructor allegedly took the girls into a secluded office
SAN JOSE >> A music teacher at Adelante Dual Language Academy has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault after a police investigation alleged he molested at least 10 children, authorities said.
Detective interviews with several students revealed accusations that Morgan Hill resident Israel Santiago, 43, touched students inappropriately in the East San Jose school's band and music room, according to San Jose police and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors filed charges against Santiago Friday, and on Monday, police arrested Santiago. He has been booked into the Elmwood men's jail in Milpitas, where he was being held without bail. Santiago was arraigned in a San Jose courtroom Tuesday and his next court date was scheduled for Nov. 28.
As of Tuesday morning, Santiago was still listed as a band teacher on Adelante Academy's website. Calls to the school about his arrest and employment status did not yield an immediate response. But the DA's office said in a news release that Santiago is on administrative leave from the Alum Rock Union School District.
It was not immediately clear what spurred the criminal investigation, but prosecutors said the alleged abuse started last school year. The allegations include claims that Santiago took children into his “relatively secluded” office, then would “hold the girls on his lap and hug them tightly to his body,” according to the DA's office.
“The children reported feeling extremely uncomfortable,” the DA news release said.
The physical contact alleged against Santiago — described as 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 285 pounds — included touching students' buttocks and touching a girl's back underneath her bra strap, prosecutors said.
The investigation also alleges that the behavior by Santiago was directed only at girls. Some of the victims apparently tested this by asking a boy to ask Santiago for a hug and the teacher responded by giving the boy a fist bump, prosecutors said.
Because of Santiago's role as a teacher, police said there could be more potential victims who have not come forward. Anyone with information for investigators can call 408-537-1381 or email Detective Rocky Zanotto at 3657@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Alex Gutierrez at 3624@sanjoseca.gov.