A teacher from Southern California has been taken into custody, facing allegations of sexual abuse involving several children. Steve Paul Perry Popper, 47, was identified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as the suspect in these disturbing crimes. On October 8, their detectives were tipped off about downloaded child sexual abuse material originating from the Colton area, which led to Popper's identification as a suspect.
Popper, who teaches at Bemis Elementary School in Rialto, has been implicated in the abuse of four juveniles, the identities of whom remain confidential for their protection. After substantial investigation, detectives found evidence of lewd acts and the possession of child pornography. According to the sheriff’s department release, Popper was booked on October 29 for a multitude of serious charges, including lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 with force/duress, and possession of child pornography, with his bail set at $500,000. It remains unclear whether the identified victims had any association with the school where Popper taught.
The investigators are concerned that there may be additional victims who have not been identified or come forward as of yet. They have extended a call for any information related to the case or for individuals who may have been victimized by the accused to contact Detective Jason Desario at 909-890-4904. For those wishing to maintain anonymity, information can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or via their website.
As reported by KTLA, these anonymous reports can often be the first critical step in a chain of events that lead to an arrest and, hopefully, justice for the affected children. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus asks for the community's help in bringing further incidents to light and aiding the investigation in their ongoing effort to protect the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.
