Former Bay Area high school teacher arrested, arraigned on multiple sex crime allegations
A former Vallejo City Unified School District teacher has been arrested and charged on suspicion of multiple sexual offenses involving a minor, prompting a slew of social media posts from concerned parents.
Vallejo police on Thursday arrested 46-year-old Vallejo resident John Paul Cagandahan Acac in the 1300 block of Legeng Circle on suspicion of several felonies, including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and intimidating a witness or victim. He was booked into the Solano County Jail, where he is held on $585,000 bail.
Acac began working for the district in the fall of 2005. He held multiple positions as a teacher and athletic coach at Vallejo High School and John Finney Education Complex. The charges against him involve allegations from approximately 10 years ago.
Acac on Friday appeared in Solano County Superior Court in Fairfield for initial arraignment, where, in Department 24, Commissioner Bryan J. Kim’s courtroom, he was charged with 14 felony counts. They include five counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old; two counts of oral copulation with a person under 16; four counts of oral copulation with a person under 18; one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object on a victim under 16; one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object on a victim under 18; and one count of dissuading a victim or witness.
Acac pleaded not guilty and did not waive time for a preliminary hearing. It is unclear who represents Acac.
Kim assigned the case to Department 15 in the Justice Building in Vallejo and ordered him to return for a readiness conference at 9 a.m. Dec. 30. A preliminary hearing is scheduled in the same department at 10 a.m. Jan. 7.
On Friday, Vallejo Superintendent Rubén Aurelio send out a statement to parents and guardians, assuring them “that the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority.”
“We were informed of a situation involving Acac that required immediate investigation on Nov. 15, 2024,” Aurelio wrote. “We immediately placed the teacher on administrative leave and referred the matter to local law enforcement. Please be advised that this teacher did not step foot into any District classroom or otherwise have access to our students once we were notified he was under criminal investigation. This teacher’s employment with the District ended on Dec. 9, 2024, and he was arrested and booked on multiple felony charges on Dec. 19, 2024.
“I assure you that the District and I take any allegations of employee misconduct very seriously,” Aurelio continued. “We are fully cooperating with the Vallejo Police Department’s ongoing investigation and remain committed to providing any necessary assistance to ensure justice and transparency.”
The superintendent said that he understood that the news of this nature may prompt questions and concerns. He urged those to contact VCUSD Communications Office at communicationsoffice@vcusd.org.
“Safety in our schools is a shared responsibility,” Aurelio said. “Please remind your child to speak to a trusted adult at school if they see or hear anything that feels uncomfortable or out of place. Please encourage them to avoid gossip and rumors, which can create unnecessary confusion and stress.
In a press statement issued late Friday, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office indicated it would not release more information so “as to not compromise the prosecution of this matter.”
Police said anyone who believes they may have been a victim or knows someone who was a victim of sexual assault involving Acac should contact Officer Valeria Banda at (707) 567-9605 or via email at Valeria.Banda@cityofvallejo.net or Detective Daniel Callison at (707) 648-4533 or Daniel.Callison@cityofvallejo.net