Registered Sex Offender Found Volunteering in Kindergarten Class

A man volunteering at Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande, California was discovered as having been a registered sex offender. He was discovered after one of the children’s parents, who works for the local police department, recognized the man’s name.

The man did not appear on the Megan’s Law website because his offense was considered low-level, and a “low-level” designation does not require that an offender’s name and photograph be listed on the website. He was arrested at Pirate’s Cove in 2001 for indecent exposure.

The school sent a letter home with children notifying parents that a sex offender had been supervising their children. Principal Juan Olivarria reported the man was never left alone with the children, and that no incidents have been reported.

A simple background check would have prevented this occurrence from happening. Even the local police department was surprised that no background check was completed. The school has stated that the man is no longer volunteering and is not allowed on the school campus any longer.