A 42-year-old Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) employee who worked for the district’s Youth Services afterschool program was arrested on May 13 and charged with nine felony counts of engaging in a lewd act with a child.

Ronnie Lee Roman

The defendant, Ronnie Lee Roman, of San Fernando, is accused of molesting seven victims when he worked as a coach in the afterschool program at Cahuenga Elementary School in Koreatown and Vine Street Elementary School in Hollywood. The incidents at Cahuenga Elementary allegedly occurred between January 2012 and September 2014, and the incidents at Vine Street Elementary occurred between August 2001 and July 2002.

Det. Daniel Aguirre, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Sexually Ex-ploited Child Unit, said investigators have released Roman’s photograph with the hope that any additional victims will come forward. Because it is an ongoing investigation, Aguirre added that he cannot provide many details.

Roman was arrested at an undisclosed location on May 13 after an eight-month LAPD investigation into allegations made by victims. One of the victims disclosed last September that Roman had allegedly touched her inappropriately, and police were notified. Through their investigation, detectives identified six additional victims, all of whom were 7 to 11 years old when the incidents occurred.

Representatives of the Los Angeles Unified School District confirmed that Roman is an LAUSD employee of the Beyond the Bell, Youth Services Program and declined to comment further, and added a statement that read, “All other matters or details are personal and confidential.”

It is unclear how long he worked for the district, or what sports he coached. Roman also previously worked at Charles H. Kim, Selma Avenue, Magnolia and Alexandria elementary schools, according to the LAPD. A letter sent to parents at Cahuenga Elementary, which was provided by LAUSD, stated that Roman had been removed from his position at the school when the allegations surfaced last September.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Roman’s arraignment was continued to May 29 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He is being held on $1.9 million bail, and faces 135 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Anyone with further information about the incidents, or who may be a victim, is urged to contact detectives with the LAPD’s Sexually Exploited Child Unit at (213)486-0580.