Five more victims have contacted sheriff's detectives since they announced the arrest of a longtime Miramonte Elementary School teacher accused of abusing children in his classroom.
The lewd conduct allegations must be verified to determine whether any additional charges can be filed against Mark Berndt, 61, who is expected in court for arraignment on 23 counts of lewd acts against children, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
Berndt, who was being held on a $2.3-million bail, regularly told his students that they were going to play a testing game in which children were blindfolded and, in a few cases, gagged with tape. He used a plastic spoon to feed children a white substance that DNA tests later revealed to be his semen. The students were told to tell him whether the substance tasted salty or sweet. The father of one victim also said that his son was photographed eating a cookie that appeared to also be laced with semen. The victims were boys and girls ages 7 to 10. Prosecutors said they plan to seek an increase in his bail. The bail schedule for his sex crime allows them to seek as much as $1 million per count, which would total $23 million.
He was arrested after a investigation that lasted about one year. Police were tipped off Berndt after a CVS photo technician in the South Bay noticed suspicious photos of blindfolded and gagged children.
He was immediately removed from his classroom in January 2011 after Los Angeles Unified School District officials were notified of the sex crime allegations. He was fired at the next board meeting. The lewd acts that he is charged with committing took place from 2005 to 2010.
Those acts considered as lewd and lascivious battery in California are prosecuted aggressively. The age of the child involved and the age of the defendant are key in cases involving lewd and lascivious battery.
If you have been arrested for lewd acts against children, you will need to contact a Los Angeles lewd conduct lawyer right away. Any lewd acts are punishable as a felony and can bring huge fines and serious imprisonment as well as potential enhancements that increase penalties.
However, there are defenses that a sex crime criminal defense lawyer with Cron, Israels & Stark can pursue on your behalf. With our extensive background handling these types of cases, our firm will pursue obtaining the best possible outcome for your case.
We have successfully represented clients facing a vast array of sex crime criminal charges that include child pornography,
child molestation,
sexual battery, and more.
Just because you have been accused of lewd and lascivious battery does not mean that you are guilty. Get the legal help you need now to avoid an outcome that could be devastating to your future.
Call our office at 888-895-3607 for a free case evaluation.