By Khalida Sarwari
A San Jose elementary school teacher will appear in court in San Jose this afternoon to be arraigned on two felony charges of lewd acts on a child, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Craig Chandler, 35, was arrested at his home in San Jose on Tuesday night on suspicion of several counts of aggravated sexual assault involving at least one child in the 7- to 8-year-old age range, according to police.
He is being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
Chandler is suspected of committing the crime against an O.B. Whaley Elementary School student at the campus at 2655 Alvin Ave. between August and October, police said.
Investigators have not released the child’s age or gender.
According to police, Chandler teaches a second and third grade combination class at O.B. Whaley and has been teaching at the school for the past nine years.
San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said there may be additional victims in the case.
The Evergreen School District posted a statement on its website on Wednesday stating that Chandler has been placed on leave “in accordance with district protocol.”
The statement read, “We want to assure the community that the safety and well-being of our children is our primary concern.”
Anyone who may have been victimized by Chandler or has information about the case is asked to contact Detective Sean Pierce at (408) 277-4102. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP (7867) or visit www.svcrimestoppers.org.
