Middle School Assistant Principal Charged With Sexually Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl

Middle School Assistant Principal Charged
With Sexually Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl

March 6, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Joe Scott, Director of Communications
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Jane Robison, News Secretary
(213) 974-3525

LOS ANGELES – Child molestation charges were filed today against the assistant principal of a Los Angeles middle school in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl over the past two months.

Deputy District Attorney Darci Lanphere of the Sex Crimes Division said 39-year-old Steve Thomas Rooney (dob 12-2-1968) is expected to appear for arraignment today in Division 30 of Los Angeles Superior Court.

He was charged in case No. BA 337317 with three counts of forcible lewd act upon a child and two counts of lewd act upon a child. According to the criminal complaint, the assaults occurred between Jan. 1 and March 1 of this year. The prosecutor said the crimes occurred both on and off the school campus.

Lanphere asked the court to set bail at $1 million for the defendant, who has been in custody since his arrest by Los Angeles police on March 4. If convicted, he faces a possible maximum state prison term of 34 years.

Rooney, assistant principal of Markham Middle School, has been employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District since January 2000, authorities said. He lives in Los Angeles.

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