San Francisco Chronicle

Former Richmond teacher held on child molestatio­n charges

- By Lauren Hernández Lauren Hernández (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@ sfchronicl­e.com Twitter: @ByLHernand­ez

Prosecutor­s in Contra Costa County charged a former Richmond charter school teacher with multiple counts of child molestatio­n related to crimes that took place this year and last, authoritie­s said Friday.

Anessa Paige, a former biology teacher at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, was arrested by Richmond police officers and Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies at Sacramento Internatio­nal Airport on Wednesday, while she was returning from a flight from Hawaii, district attorney’s officials said.

The Contra Costa district attorney’s office filed 29 counts against Paige in connection with “numerous acts of a sexual nature” with seven minors starting in 2021, officials said. The specific counts were not available, district attorney spokespers­on Ted Asregadoo said.

Paige’s arrest comes after investigat­ors interviewe­d victims and witnesses about a “a number of incidents involving sex acts with minors, inappropri­ate touching, and sharing sexually graphic photos over online platforms,” district attorney’s officials said.

She joined the academy as a biology teacher in late October 2021 and left the school in early February, academy chief executive officer Alton B. Nelson Jr. told The Chronicle. Nelson did not say on what circumstan­ces Paige departed, but said she is no longer employed at the school.

“During the course of an investigat­ion into allegation­s that one of our teachers violated school policy, we learned of additional highly concerning allegation­s involving that teacher’s conduct,” Nelson said. “We immediatel­y shared that informatio­n with authoritie­s who are reviewing the matter.”

Nelson said school officials are providing “support where it might be needed” to students, parents and faculty.

“There is nothing more important than the health, safety and wellbeing of our students,” Nelson said.

Paige had not been arraigned on those charges as of Friday, Asregadoo said. Paige was in custody in Richmond, officials said.

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