The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office on Monday confirmed the identity of the suspect in the Cate School sex abuse investigation as former music teacher Da’Jon Tyrik James.
While James, 27, has yet to be charged with any crimes locally, Boulder detectives announced this week that he was arrested on similar abuse allegations at the Colorado school where he now works.
Boulder detectives met with four female students who said James had “had touched them sexually,” the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “The four female students disclosed they were subjected to inappropriate language, sexually explicit imagery, prolonged hugging, fondling, inappropriate complimenting, and inappropriate kissing on their foreheads. All the alleged incidents occurred on school property during school hours.”
James worked at Cate School, a four-year college prep school located in Carpinteria, for six months, Cate representatives said. His employment was terminated in February 2020.
In June of this year, District Attorney and Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant at the Cate School campus to gather evidence and further their investigation, Sheriff’s spokesperson Raquel Zick said at the time. Their investigation into James continues, the department said Monday.
“Sheriff’s detectives have identified several sexual assault survivors in this case who are both current and former students of Cate School,” said Lt. Brad Welch, “and they believe there may be additional survivors or witnesses who have not yet been located or contacted. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to please contact Detective Sergeant Mark Valencia at (805) 681-4150.”
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