EspañolOrange County Teacher’s Aid Giacomo Antonio Valdivieso-Vargas, Who Went by Jack Valdivieso-Vargas, Arrested For Alleged Lewd Acts With Young Girls
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (July 15, 2024) – An Orange County teacher’s aid identified as Giacomo “Jack” Antonio Valdivieso-Vargas has been arrested for alleged lewd acts with young girls.
Orange County officials are saying that the suspect was arrested on Thursday. Giacomo Valdivieso-Vargas worked at Utt Middle School in Tustin.
Investigators believe that the suspect inappropriately touched a 12-year-old girl. He also allegedly made sexual remarks about two other 12-year-old girls.
Giacomo Antonio Valdivieso-Vargas has been charged with felony child abuse and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.
Tustin police are investigating the possibility that there may be additional victims.
Liability For Orange County Teacher Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse remains all too common in schools across California. According to neaToday, “there were 14,938 incidents of sexual violence in K–12 schools in 2017 – 2018 compared with 9,649 in 2015 – 2016, representing a 55 percent increase. These include incidents of rape or attempted rape and sexual assault.” Much of the abuse that takes place is preventable. Schools should take a number of measures in order to prevent students from being abused by school employees.
- Schools should develop and enforce clear codes of conduct.
- Schools should conduct thorough background checks on all employees.
- Schools should report and investigate any instances of misconduct.
Schools have a legal obligation to properly supervise all students and take reasonable measures to protect them from abuse. Consider, for example, Taylor v. Oakland Scavenger Co., 17 Cal. 2d 594 [110 P.2d 1044], “It is the duty of the school authorities to supervise at all times the conduct of the children on the school grounds and to enforce those rules and regulations necessary to their protection.” If a school failed to supervise students who were abused, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. It is important that certain steps be taken after any instance of school sexual abuse.
- A police report of the incident should be created.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- A thorough investigation should be conducted.
A school could also be liable for sexual abuse if they knew (or should have known) that a teacher posed a risk to students and failed to take action. In far too many situations, schools fail to adequately investigate instances of misconduct. It is important that victims of sexual abuse and their families understand that they do have rights. They are able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Orange County Teacher Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our best wishes to all of the people who may have been affected by the actions of Giacomo Antonio Valdivieso-Vargas. There needs to be a thorough investigation into all of the allegations and into the possibility that there may be other victims. Any person who may have more information should reach out to the Tustin Police Department.
Have you or someone that you care about been affected by teacher sexual abuse in Orange County? You may have legal recourse. Our team of sexual abuse attorneys is here for you. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that schools are held accountable for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we may be able to help. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
