Ex-Bay Area elementary school teacher gets 200 years-to-life sentence for molesting students
A former Bay Area elementary school teacher who was convicted of molesting four of his students will spend the rest of his life in state prison, prosecutors said Monday.
According to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe's office, a judge sentenced 34-year-old Jeremy Pakyin Yeh of San Mateo to a sentence of 200 years-to-life in prison at a hearing on Friday. Yeh was convicted in February of 17 counts of felony child molestation.
Prosecutors said Yeh taught 1st and 2nd grade at El Crystal Elementary School and Allen Elementary School, both located in San Bruno. El Crystal Elementary has since been closed.
According to testimony at trial, Yeh touched several of his students on the genitals and buttocks between 2016 and 2022. Prosecutors said a victim had come forward in 2018, but later recanted after the administration at El Crystal Elementary said she lied.
Four years later, another victim came forward. Eventually, four children in total were determined to be victimized by Yeh, prosecutors said.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors said two victims and their parents addressed the court and provided victim impact statements. Yeh and his mother also addressed the court.
Following Yeh's conviction, the victims filed a lawsuit against the San Bruno Park School District, alleging that school officials failed to stop the abuse.
"Jeremy Yeh is a classic pedophile that groomed young girls with special attention and rewards," attorney Bobby Thompson, who is representing two of the victims, said at a news conference on Mar. 3. "He'd still be doing it to this day but for some young girls that were brave enough to speak up."
The lawsuit claims administrators "covered up and concealed Jeremy Yeh's inappropriate and abhorrent conduct", along with failing to document, investigate or respond to further incidents of sexual misconduct, and failing to comply with mandatory reporting laws.
Following the announcement of the lawsuit, current superintendent Matthew Duffy said about Yeh's conviction, "The verdict sends a strong message across our community and throughout our public school system that those who work in our schools and who mistreat and harm students will be held accountable. The District cooperated and worked closely with law enforcement in this case and will continue to work together in an effort to promote student safety."
The district had no comment about the civil case.
