Former Sacramento special education teacher arrested in child molestation investigation
SACRAMENTO COUNTY – A former special education teacher was arrested in connection with an investigation into a girl being molested when she was 4 years old in Sacramento County, the sheriff's office said.
A mother called the sheriff's office on Friday saying that she just learned her now teenage daughter was sexually abused when the girl was 4. The sheriff's office said the suspect was close to the family.
After interviewing the mother and daughter, detectives identified and interviewed the suspect, 49-year-old Jason Prater.
The sheriff's office said Prater "made some admissions and confirmed significant parts of the girl's statement."
Prater was then arrested for two counts of oral sex acts with a child under 10 and one count of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14.
Prater was an education specialist at the Roseville campus of John Adams Academy and a special education teacher at Options for Youth Charter School in Sacramento, the sheriff's office said.
Options for Youth said Prater has not been one of its employees since Aug. 18, 2023.
He was also a martial arts instructor for children in the Roseville area, but the sheriff's office said it couldn't determine if he was affiliated with a particular studio.
The sheriff's office is now seeking help from the public to identify any additional potential victims. The Child Abuse Bureau can be contacted at (916) 874-5191 and childabuse@sacsheriff.com.
Prater remains behind bars with a $2.1 million bail and is scheduled to be in court on May 21.
