LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Los Angeles teacher charged with taking bizarre, bondage-style photographs of his grade-school students in a case that has brought shock and outrage to the district and the nation is set to appear in court.
Prosecutors say 61-year-old teacher Mark Berndt will be arraigned Tuesday morning on charges of committing lewd acts against 23 children ages 6 to 10, from 2005 to 2010.
Berndt, who was a teacher for more than 30 years at Miramonte Elementary, has been jailed since his Jan. 31 arrest. He is being held on $23 million bail.
The allegations against him and another Miramonte teacher charged with groping two students have led to lawsuits from former students and the temporary removal of the school's entire staff.
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