Redlands teacher accused of child sex abuse held on $2 million bail

REDLANDS, Calif. — A Redlands Unified School District temporary teacher was arrested Tuesday and is facing multiple felony charges related to the long-term sexual abuse of a child under 10, according to police and jail records.

Elvin Paul Vereau, 52, of Riverside, was arrested May 13 by the Riverside Police Department’s Sexual Assault – Child Abuse Unit and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility that evening. He is being held on $2 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday, May 16, at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to a statement from Riverside Police, officers responded to a family disturbance call Sunday in the Orangecrest neighborhood of Riverside. During the investigation, a female juvenile disclosed that she had been sexually abused by Vereau over the course of several years. Detectives launched a follow-up investigation that led to his arrest.

Jail records show Vereau is facing five felony charges, including oral copulation with a child under 10, continuous sexual abuse of a child, lewd acts on a child under 14 with the use of force or fear, and false imprisonment.

Vereau, a temporary Special Academic Instruction teacher at Citrus Valley High School, was placed on administrative leave immediately after the arrest, said district spokesperson Christine Stephens in a press release Tuesday evening.

He was first hired by the district in July 2013 as a paraprofessional, transitioned to a teaching role in 2022, and began his current assignment in the 2023–24 school year.

“Our top priority is, and always will be, the safety and well-being of our students,” Superintendent Juan Cabral said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Every employee must pass a series of background checks, including a Department of Justice check, prior to starting to work with our students. This process also includes the requirement for all employees to maintain good legal standing that is consistently monitored by our Human Resources department.”

Police said the abuse occurred in both Riverside and Redlands and investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Vanessa Castillo at (951) 353-7609 or VCCastillo@RiversideCA.gov.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Riverside Police Department’s “Atlas 1” mobile app.

This is a developing story. Community Forward Redlands will provide updates as more information becomes available.