Calabasas teacher charged with molestation, possession of child sexual abuse material

CALABASAS, Calif. (CNS) -- A Sylmar man who taught at an exclusive private 
school in Calabasas was charged Friday with possessing of child sexual 
abuse material, along with annoying or molesting four female students who 
were allegedly secretly photographed.

Travis Takeshi Shojinaga, 39, pleaded not guilty to the five criminal 
charges and was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, 
despite the prosecution's request that he be held without bail, according 
to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Court records indicate he is facing one felony count and four misdemeanor 
counts.

Shojinaga -- who taught at Viewpoint School for 10 years -- allegedly took 
secret and intimate photographs of at least four students, according to 
the district attorney's office.

He was arrested Wednesday on campus after an 11-year-old student reported 
that he was secretly taking inappropriate photographs of female students, 
according to the district attorney's office.

Shojinaga has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.

The school, with tuition costing around $50,000 per year, issued a 
statement Thursday to its community.

"Yesterday we learned of troubling allegations against a faculty member. 
We immediately launched an investigation and notified the Los Angeles 
County Sheriff Department's Lost Hills Station. The employee was 
subsequently taken into custody, and his employment has been terminated."

School officials said they are "working closely and cooperating with law 
enforcement as they investigate the matter," but added that the 
allegations do not involve physical contact.

In a statement announcing the charges, District Attorney Nathan Hochman 
said, "The accusations in this case are disgusting and deliberate 
violations of children's safety, dignity and rights. Our community's 
schools are meant to be safe and protected environments for youths."

The district attorney's office added that authorities "believe there may 
be more victims and encourage anyone with information to call law 
enforcement."

Anyone who may have been an alleged victim or has additional information 
about Shojinaga was being urged to call Sgt. Joe Cerda at the Los Angeles 
County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau at 562-946-8216.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 
(800) 222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

Shojinaga is due back in a Van Nuys courtroom March 12, when a date is 
scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence 
to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.

If convicted as charged, Shojinaga faces a maximum of seven years in state 
prison and sex offender registration for life, according to the district 
attorney's office.

https://abc7.com/post/calabasas-teacher-charged-molestation-possession-
child-sexual-abuse-material/18662075/