SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — A special education teacher is behind bars and facing accusations of molesting a four-year-old child.
The arrest came after a woman called the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office on May 17 to report that her teenage daughter was sexually abused as a four-year-old by a man close to the family.
Deputies interviewed the mother, daughter and the suspect, 49-year-old Jason Prater. Deputies said he made some admissions and confirmed parts of the girl's statement.
He was arrested on suspicion of an oral sex act with a child age 10 or under and a lewd or lascivious act with a child under age 14.
Prater is in custody with a $2.1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 21.
Prater was employed as an education specialist at the Roseville campus of the John Adams Academy and as a special education teacher at Options for Youth Charter School in Sacramento. Sgt. Amar Gandhi, spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said both schools have been very cooperative with law enforcement and their investigation.
John Adams Academy told ABC10 Prater was placed on administrative leave once the school learned of the arrest. A spokesperson for the school said Prater worked in a limited capacity and the school is in the process of reaching out to students' families to ensure they are aware of the allegations.
Deputies also said Prater was a martial arts instructor for children in the Roseville area, but it's not clear if he was affiliated with any specific studio.
Deputies are seeking help from the public to identify any other potential victims. The sheriff's Child Abuse Bureau can be reached at 916-874-5191 and childabuse@sacsheriff.com
A full statement from Options for Youth San Juan is available below.
We were recently made aware that a former employee is currently under investigation by law enforcement. We are fully cooperating with authorities and awaiting further information.
A full statement from John Adams Academy is available below.
Over the weekend, the Academy received a communication from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office making administration aware of the arrest of Jason Prater, an Education Specialist at our Roseville Campus for alleged crimes that occurred approximately a decade ago unrelated to John Adams Academy. Immediately upon learning of the arrest, the Academy placed Mr. Prater on administrative leave to ensure he has no contact with students pending investigation of the allegations.
Mr. Prater worked in a limited capacity in the secondary program at the Roseville campus (middle school), had the appropriate CTC-issued credential and background check, and worked in a setting with other teachers and adults present. We are in the process of reaching out to families of students who worked with Mr. Prater while at the Academy to ensure they are aware of the allegations.
While these allegations do not involve John Adams Academy, our hearts go out to all victims of abuse, and we encourage anyone with information relevant to this case to contact the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau at 916-874-5191 and childabuse@sacsheriff.com.
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