RivCo High School Teacher Suspected Of Serial Sexual Abuse

REDLANDS, CA — A 52-year-old high school teacher suspected of sexually assaulting a girl multiple times in Riverside and Redlands was being held Wednesday in lieu of $2 million bail.

Elvin Paul Vereau of Riverside was arrested and booked Tuesday into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of lewd acts on a minor, false imprisonment, continual sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old and oral copulation of a minor.

According to the Riverside Police Department, Vereau, who is a contract "special academic instructor" for the Redlands Unified School District, came under investigation on Sunday after patrol officers were sent to investigate reports of a family disturbance at his residence in the Orangecrest neighborhood.

Officer Ryan Railsback said that while the patrolmen were questioning members of the household about the conflict inside the home, "they learned a female juvenile had been sexually abused by Vereau over several years."

Railsback did not specify the victim's exact relationship to the suspect.

The police spokesman said the case was immediately turned over to detectives from the Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit, who conducted follow-up interviews, gathering sufficient evidence to arrest Vereau after he went to the department's Magnolia Station for further questioning.

"These alleged crimes occurred in both Riverside and Redlands, and investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward," Railsback said.

He said Vereau's most recent teaching assignment was at Citrus Valley High School in Redlands.

The suspect has been placed on administrative leave.

No other background information on him was available.

Anyone with details relevant to the investigation was urged to contact the SACA investigative team at 951-353-7609