Orange County School Employee Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges; Police Seek More Victims

Orange County School Employee Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges; Police Seek More Victims

Feb 25, 2023

A safety officer employed by the Orange County School District was arrested Friday for alleged child molestation.

David Escobar, 45, was identified as the child sex abuse suspect by the Santa Ana Police Department, a report from local KTLA confirmed. Escobar is employed by the Santa Ana Unified School District at Saddleback High School and holds the position of district safety officer, law enforcement officials indicated.

Santa Ana Police officials received a report from an adult female victim who told authorities that Escobar had molested her when she was four years old. The victim indicated that Escobar was 20 years old at the time of the alleged sexual assault.

During the investigation, Santa Ana Police discovered a second female victim who indicated that she was also sexually molested by Escobar when she was a teenager, KTLA reported.

Subsequent to his arrest, Escobar was booked on suspicion of child molestation, according to Santa Ana police Sergeant Maria Lopez. The suspected child molester is currently being held on $1 million bail.

Sergeant Lopez declined to say how Escobar knew the alleged survivors, according to KTLA. However, Lopez indicated that the suspect did not meet the underage victims through an after-school program which he coordinated for the city’s parks and recreational department, according to a report from Patch. Escobar is believed to have worked as an after-school program coordinator for the City of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Department from July 1996 through September 2011.

Santa Ana Police Department officials believe there may be additional sexual abuse victims who were harmed by Escobar but have yet to be identified.

Anyone with information related to a sex crime committed by David Escobar is urged to immediately contact Santa Ana Police Detective J. Garcia at 714-245-8732 or by email jgarcia@santa-ana.org.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted online to Orange County Crime Stoppers or by calling 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

Numerous School Districts Across the United States Embroiled in Sex Abuse Lawsuits

As we noted in a recent blog, a study conducted by United Educators – an insurance and risk management company focused on schools and colleges – confirmed that countless districts across the nation paid out major damages awards and settlements of $1 million or more last year for lawsuits related to sexual misconduct, crimes, and discrimination.

Entitled “Large Loss Report of 2023,” the study from United Educators confirmed that:

• 69 publicly reported damages awards and settlements of $1 million or more among K-12 schools and colleges were recorded in 2022.
• That figure – the total number of damages awards and settlements – was up from 38 which equaled $1 million or more in 2021.
• One-third of large settlements reported in 2022 (23 claims) stemmed from sexual misconduct incidents.
• In 2021, 13 of the damages awards and settlements (34%) were related to sexual misconduct claims.
• In 2022, the cost of sexual misconduct claims included in the report ranged from $1 million to more than $600 million.
• The largest award, totaling $615.6 million, was paid out by the University of California system, which was accused of negligence for employing a gynecologist who sexually abused dozens of women.

Many California school districts were among the institutions which were either ordered to pay damages or settled lawsuits stemming from allegations that administrators did not act swiftly to investigate employees accused of sexually abusing students. Some of those California school districts include:

• Union School District
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Riverside Unified School District
• Pasadena Unified School District

Moreover, recent California school sexual abuse lawsuits that have been settled and garnered major headlines include:

• A San Jose school was ordered to pay $7.5 million to five men who were sexually abused by their elementary school teacher in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
• Survivors of a former Sun Valley high school wrestling coach were awarded a $52 million settlement in October 2022. The complaint alleged that the Los Angeles Unified School District knew of prior sexual misconduct and did nothing about it.
• A jury awarded $102.5 million in March 2022 to two women who sued a Northern California school district. The complaint alleged that officials failed to stop a middle school teacher from sexually grooming and abusing them as minors.
• In April 2022, a $13.7 million settlement was reached with the Riverside Unified School District after 10 students alleged sexual abuse by former school technology aide Fernando Figueroa. The survivors ranged between the ages of 7 and 11 at the time of the abuse.
• An $11 million school sex abuse settlement was reached between Redlands Unified School District and seven survivors. The plaintiffs, initially named in four separate lawsuits, accused a former Clement Middle School teacher, Sean Ramiro Lopez, of various sex crimes (Lopez is currently serving a 74-year prison sentence for sexual abuse).

Filing Your Child’s School, Teacher, or Coach Sex Abuse Lawsuit

When you’re ready to pursue justice through a civil claim, contact an experienced and qualified child sexual abuse attorney from Dordulian Law Group (DLG) by calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM. DLG was founded by former sex crimes prosecutor and RAINN National Leadership Council member, Sam Dordulian. As a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, Dordulian secured life sentences against countless sex offenders. Today, he and his team of dedicated sex crimes lawyers fight for justice in civil court on behalf of survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

DLG offers free and confidential school sexual abuse consultations where you may ask questions, discuss your legal options with a skilled and proven attorney, and receive an estimate for how long it may take to reach a financial settlement.

A DLG SAJE Team (Sexual Abuse Justice Experts) member will advise you on whether or not pursuing a claim is an option and also provide an approximate value for how much your case may be worth in terms of a final settlement or verdict against your abuser.

Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Call 866-GO-SEE-SAM to discuss your school sexual abuse claim today.