EspañolFormer Riverside School Counselor at La Sierra Academy, Matthew Johnson (Full Name: Matthew Daniel Johnson), Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse and Placing Hidden Cameras in Bathroom
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (March 6, 2025) – A former Riverside school counselor at La Sierra Academy, identified as Matthew Johnson, was sentenced for child sexual abuse.
Los Angeles County officials are saying that the incidents date back to at least 2020. Law enforcement searched the home of Matthew Johnson and recovered videos of young boys engaged in sexual activity.
Some of the victims were as young as three. He admitted to law enforcement that he placed a hidden camera inside of the bathroom at La Sierra Academy.
Another camera was placed inside another bathroom at the Junior High School Bible Camp, where the defendant worked as a chaperone. Matthew Johnson was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his conduct.
He is also scheduled to be placed on lifetime supervised release after those 30 years.
Liability for Riverside County Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse in K-12 schools remains alarmingly common. 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.” Teachers and coaches are the most common perpetrators of sexual abuse in school settings. Certain groups of children are particularly at risk.
- Girls are more likely to become the victims of sexual abuse.
- Children from underprivileged economic communities are also at greater risk.
- Children with intellectual or physical disabilities are especially vulnerable.
Pursuant to California Penal Code 647(j), a person who uses a concealed camcorder or photographic camera of any type to record a person in a bedroom, bathroom, changing room, or any location where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is guilty of a crime. If the person being recorded is underage, the perpetrator could also face charges of child pornography.
In addition to criminal charges, a school could also be held liable for the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child in their care. Consider, for example, Jane Doe 25 v. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School. A kindergarten teacher allegedly engaged in lewd and lascivious conduct with multiple students. School officials allegedly failed to have child protection policies and procedures in place. It is important that certain steps are taken after any instance of sexual abuse.
- The history of misconduct involving the perpetrator at the school should be understood.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- The safety policies and procedures that the school had in place should be reviewed.
- An experienced sexual abuse attorney should be contacted.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any instance of sexual abuse in a school setting. Abuse can leave victims with long-lasting physical and psychological injuries. Among other things, abuse victims are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. To make matters worse, schools will often do everything in their power to deny responsibility for abuse that takes place in their care. This is why it is so important for all instances of school abuse to be properly investigated by an experienced attorney.
Investigating Riverside County School Sexual Abuse
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP were deeply concerned to hear about the actions of Matthew Johnson. Riverside County schools are safer now that this person has been sentenced. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other instances of misconduct and abuse.
Have you or someone that you care about been the victim of sexual abuse in California? You may have legal recourse. Our team of school sexual abuse attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that school districts are held accountable for their neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact us anytime at 626-799-9375.
