Santee

Thirty-eight sex charges were filed Thursday against the husband of the operator of a day-care center in Santee who is accused of molesting children there.

Cabray Wilson Scott, 53, pleaded not guilty to the new charges Thursday before San Diego Municipal Judge Joe Littlejohn. Scott previously had been charged with molesting two girls who attended his wife’s day-care center in their home and now faces a total of 40 felony counts.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Dave Rubin said the charges stem from conduct with four girls and one boy.

Rubin said the youngest victim is 3 1/2 years old, and the oldest, the boy, is 13.

The earliest molestation allegedly occurred in 1984. Other counts allege penetration with a foreign object and sodomy with a minor.

Scott was to have his preliminary hearing Thursday, but agreed to continue it to Sept. 6 after the new charges were filed.

Two victims, who now live in Illinois, were to have testified Thursday, but were unable to get a flight here because of the damage caused by tornadoes in their area, the prosecutor said.

For 23 years, Scott has been an employee with the circulation department of the Union/Tribune Publishing Co., according to court records. He has remained in County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail since his arrest on June 12.