Two people are facing charges in connection with alleged sexual abuse of students in their care at the Christian Youth Theater in El Cajon, county District Attorney Summer Stephan said Tuesday.
David Hott, 34, has been charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious act on a child under the age of 14 for incidents that occurred in 2007 involving a 13-year-old child. Brad Christian Davis, 40, has been charged with one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object for a 2010 incident involving a 16-year-old child.
If convicted, Hott faces up to 10 years in prison, and Davis faces up to three years, Stephan said.
Superior Court Judge Michael Groch set bail at $100,000 for both men, neither of whom are in custody, according to Stephan's office.
Christian Youth Theater is a national after-school theater company. Its headquarters are in El Cajon.
The District Attorney's Office was able to file charges under a law that provides a longer statute of limitations in certain legal circumstances, Stephan said.
"Protecting children from sexual predators and making sure they are not revictimized during the criminal justice process is my top priority," Stephan said. "Victims in this case, whose abuse was beyond the statute of limitations, still provided valuable information and evidence that allowed their voices to be heard and will allow us to seek justice."
Most people who experience childhood sexual abuse delay telling authorities or choose never to disclose it because of fear, embarrassment, shame or the stigma of being a victim, according to Stephan's office.
San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said he thanked the victims "for their courage in coming forward and our Sex Crimes Detectives for working diligently on this case with the District Attorney's Office."
The District Attorney's Office and San Diego Police Department are asking for any additional victims to come forward; those with information are urged to call the police department.
"We must hold these individuals responsible for their actions, so they don't have the opportunity to harm more children in the future," Nisleit said.
