REDLANDS, Calif. (WHDH) — A middle school teacher in Redlands, California is accused of sexually abusing a student over the span of five years.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Investigations Division, Crimes Against Children Detail, launched an investigation Thursday after an 18-year-old man reportedly disclosed that he had been sexually abused between the ages of 12 and 17 years old by Joseph Nardella, 52, of Highland.
Nardella was a teacher at Clement Middle School in Redlands at the same time the victim was a student at the school, the sheriff’s office said.
Nardella has been placed on administrative leave by the school district.
He is also facing a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14 and is being held on $350,000 bail.
The sheriff’s office says they released Nardella’s booking photo because it is believed there may be additional victims.
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