Norwalk : Teacher to Be Arraigned in Child Molestations

A former ABC Unified School District elementary teacher is scheduled to be arraigned July 6 in Norwalk Superior Court on 20 counts of molesting seven of his male students.

Eduardo Gonzalez Maese, 36, is accused of molesting the youngsters he taught at Luther Burbank Elementary in Artesia and Hawaiian Elementary in Hawaiian Gardens.

Maese was held to answer on 15 felony counts of molestation and five counts of kidnaping with the intent to commit a lewd act with a child, after a preliminary hearing June 22 at Los Cerritos Municipal Court in Bellflower.

All seven of the alleged victims--ranging in age from 10 to 12--testified during the hearing that was closed at the request of Maese’s attorney.

According to the boys’ testimony, the molestations took place between 1986 and 1988 in the teacher’s room during lunch periods or on weekends at his home, Deputy Dist. Atty. Eric Davis said.

Some of the boys testified that they were molested while spending weekend nights at the teacher’s home before trips to Disneyland or Magic Mountain, Davis said.

If convicted Maese, who had taught in the ABC district since 1980, could be sentenced to a maximum of 75 years in state prison, Davis said.

The district placed him on paid leave in March after several of the students alleged they had been molested by him, Davis said.

The boys made the allegations after viewing a district film on child molestation. The fifth-grade students said the molestations occurred while they were fourth-graders.

Maese was arrested after an investigation by the Sheriff’s Department, Davis said. Maese, who is free on $30,000 bail, resigned from the district May 1.