A former biology teacher at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville was arrested at his home in Suffolk County, New York, last Friday, after Santa Cruz County sheriff's detectives flew across the country to take him into custody on charges connected to a 2022 incident involving a teenager. Jacob Lee, 28, faces multiple charges tied to alleged lewd or lascivious acts with a child aged 14 or 15, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Sex Crimes Unit opened its investigation in April after receiving a report about the 2022 incident, according to KRON4. That four-month timeline culminated in the extradition effort that brought detectives to Long Island earlier this month, as detailed by The Pajaronian. Lee was employed as a teacher at the time of the alleged 2022 incident, and Monte Vista Christian School officials assisted investigators as the case developed.
Sheriff Chris Clark said the allegations represent a serious betrayal of trust, and he made clear that distance from California would not shield Lee from the case. Moving across the country “does not make the allegations disappear,” Clark said, according to the sheriff's office. Investigators also noted that Lee was involved in the broader church community, and the sheriff's office said detectives are now seeking additional potential victims as the case remains active.
A Decade at the Same Campus
Monte Vista Christian School confirmed that Lee worked as a biology teacher on its Watsonville campus from August 2021 until February 2024, according to Lookout Santa Cruz. That tenure placed him on campus throughout the year of the alleged incident. Before joining the school's faculty, Lee earned a bachelor's degree in molecular biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020, per the same Pajaronian report, entering high school science instruction shortly after finishing his undergraduate studies at the nearby university.
It remains unclear whether the alleged victim was a student at Monte Vista Christian School during Lee's employment there. Sheriff's officials have declined to specify the alleged victim's student status in order to protect confidentiality, leaving that detail unresolved for now.
The Charge and What It Could Mean
Lee's alleged offense falls under California Penal Code Section 288(c)(1), which criminalizes lewd or lascivious acts committed against a 14- or 15-year-old by someone at least 10 years older than the victim, a statutory age-gap requirement prosecutors must prove. The statute is classified as a “wobbler” under California law, meaning prosecutors have discretion to pursue it as a felony carrying state prison time or as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail, according to the Manuelian Law Firm. A conviction would also require mandatory registration on California's sex offender registry under Penal Code Section 290, per the Shouse Law Group.
Under California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, all public and private school teachers and administrators are classified as mandated reporters required to immediately report suspected child sexual abuse to law enforcement or child protective services, according to the ACLU of Southern California. Mandated reporters who knowingly fail to do so can face misdemeanor charges of their own.
A Century-Old Campus in the Spotlight
Monte Vista Christian School was founded in 1926 by Rev. R.O. Price and his wife, Nell, and the independent co-educational day and boarding school is marking its centennial this year, serving more than 800 students on a 100-acre campus in Watsonville, per Lookout Santa Cruz's earlier reporting. The arrest arrives during that milestone anniversary year for the school, which has long carried a reputation in the community as a safe alternative to public education; a 1998 appellate case, Ortega v. Pajaro Valley Unified School District, described one family paying $12,440.28 in tuition to transfer a child there following an abuse incident at a public school, according to court records reviewed via FindLaw.
The school's history with staff misconduct allegations is not entirely without precedent. In March 2018, domestic violence charges against a Monte Vista Christian School athletic coach were dismissed five days after his arrest due to a lack of evidence, The Pajaronian reported at the time.
Investigation Remains Active
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said the case remains active and is urging anyone with additional information to contact Detective Munoz at (831) 454-7646. Investigators believe there may be additional victims beyond the case that led to Lee's arrest, and they are continuing to seek anyone who may have information relevant to the investigation.
