Our firm along with Taylor & Ring brought civil lawsuits for the students and against the school district that employed the molester Jason Abhyankar. In the criminal trial my young clients testified against the abuser that was once their teacher. While it was very emotional for them, it was empowering for them to face their abuser. Here is the article that appeared after his sentencing.
Teacher Gets 24 Years for Molesting O.C. Boys
The Region
Courts: The former instructor argued that the youths were framing him, but a judge doesn’t buy it and gives him the maximum term.
September 20, 2002|MAI TRAN | TIMES STAFF WRITER
A former elementary school teacher who molested boys in two Orange County school districts was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in prison after the victims’ parents spoke of how the crime devastated their children and violated their trust.
The parents said they thought Jason Abhyankar, 28, was helping their three boys–only to learn he was abusing them. The betrayal was all the worse, they claim, because he was able to commit crimes even though administrators had suspicions about him.
“I adored Jason,” said the mother of one of the victims. “I thought he had everything going for him. Unfortunately, he had this desire to manipulate families to get access to their young boys.”
Other parents spoke of how their children were traumatized. Some no longer trust male teachers and sometimes refuse to go to school. Others have withdrawn from friends and no longer enjoy group activities and school sports.
“The children have [lost] their youth and innocence,” said the father of one victim. “This has been hell.”
After hearing the testimony, Superior Court Judge Carla Singer sentenced Abhyankar to the maximum 24 years in prison. His lawyer sought a three-year sentence.
Abhyankar insisted he didn’t molest the boys, and his family has argued that the boys were framing him because he assigned too much homework. But Singer didn’t buy that argument.
“You may have convinced your loving parents and your brother that this was a case of vendetta … but you haven’t convinced anyone else,” Singer said.
Abhyankar reacted angrily to the sentence. “Boy, what a day,” he said as he was taken into custody. “What a life.”
At the same moment, family members of the victims and their friends let out sighs of relief and gave each other high-fives.
“He left a path of destruction that we have to clean up. He has caused so much pain,” said one parent. “He’s caused them a lifetime of sorrow.”
The parents filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Huntington Beach school system. They contend that officials wrote a letter of recommendation for the teacher even though they suspected him of acting inappropriately around his students. Abhyankar subsequently was hired to teach at Portola Hills.
Two of the boys were molested at Village View Elementary in Huntington Beach, the other one at Portola Hills Elementary School in Portola Hills.