Photo: Stock Image
In February of this year, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit began an investigation into a sexual assault case allegedly occurring in the Ojai community from August 2013 to June 2017. The individual implicated in this case is 55-year-old Paul Herder, a teacher at Oak Grove School in Ojai during the time of the alleged offenses.
Detectives attached to the Ventura County Major Crimes Bureau determined that while employed as a teacher at the school, Herder engaged in an unlawful romantic relationship with a juvenile student. Herder allegedly employed coercion to compel the minor victim into participating in a series of sexual acts and then sent explicit sexual content to the victim while possessing child pornography for personal consumption.
In June, collaborative efforts of the Ventura County detectives and their counterparts from the Hawaii Police Department led to the tracking and apprehension of Herder in Pahoa, Hawaii.
On July 31st , Herder was extradited to Ventura County and subsequently arrested for transgressions encompassing Lewd Act Upon a Child, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, Oral Copulation of a Person Under 18, Digital Penetration of Victim Under 18 years old, Luring, and Using a Minor for Sex Acts.
Herder remains in custody, with his bail set at $1,100,000.
