Substitute teacher arrested on suspicion of molestation

A substitute teacher at Los Coyotes Middle School in La Mirada was arrested Monday on suspicion that he molested a female student in a classroom.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott of the department's Special Victims Unit said the mother of a female student reported to Norwalk sheriff’s station deputies Thursday that her daughter told her a male substitute teacher, Ted Nishihara, had touched her in a sexual manner during class. Scott said the girl is a preteen.

On Monday, detectives went to the school and interviewed students, staff members and others. Investigators then contacted Nishihara at his home.

Scott said that after interviewing Nishihara, detectives arrested him on suspicion of lewd acts upon a child. He was booked at the Cerritos sheriff’s station. His bail is set at $200,000.

According to Nishihara's resume, he graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in psychology. He has previously worked at the ABC Unified School District in Cerritos and Garden Grove Unified as a substitute teacher. He has also worked for Long Beach Unified as an instructional aide.

Scott said detectives are looking for potential additional victims and/or witnesses. Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-LASD.

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-- Richard Winton

Photo: Ted Nishihara. Credit: Courtesy Los Angeles Sheriff's Department