Santa Monica city employee accused of molesting children in 1990s as an after-school volunteer
A Santa Monica city employee was arrested this week on suspicion of molesting four boys while he was a volunteer with the city’s Police Activities League during the early 1990s, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Eric Uller, 50, a principal technology analyst with Santa Monica’s information systems department, was charged Thursday with lewd acts with a minor, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Santa Monica police began investigating allegations against Uller after receiving an anonymous tip over the summer, according to Santa Monica officials. After police identified one accuser, they passed the information to the Sheriff’s Department.
Detectives with the sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau say Uller is suspected of molesting four boys during his time as a volunteer. The after-school program was started in 1990 and offers children classes in yoga, boxing, weight training and other fitness programs.
Uller is the second city employee to be charged with child molestation. Donald Condon was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a minor. Condon took inappropriate photos of children while chaperoning a field trip for the organization, prosecutors said.
“We are deeply disturbed by the allegations that led to the arrest of Eric Uller,” Santa Monica city officials said in a statement. “The city will continue to take all steps to ensure the health, safety and well being of youth enrolled in city-sponsored programs.”
Uller has been placed on administrative leave and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
Police encourage anyone with information related to the investigation to call (877) 710-5273.
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