Disturbing details have emerged in the case against the Los Angles area elementary school teacher accused of lewd and lascivious acts with 23 of his students. Mark Berndt, a teacher with more than 30 years on the job, was arrested after a yearlong investigation. To date, Berndt is yet to hire a Los Angeles sex crimes attorney, and is being represented by a public defender.
Just why it took authorities a year to compile a case has come under much scrutiny and criticism from parents and the public. What we do know is that police were first alerted to potential wrongdoing when a drugstore photo processing clerk called police to report inappropriate photos of children blindfolded and in some instances gagged. The photos belonged to Berndt and were allegedly taken in his classroom.
In the photos, a blue spoon can be seen with a clear liquid in it being held up to the mouths of children. A search of Berndt’s classroom led to the discovery of a blue spoon, and DNA test showed that the spoon had indeed held Berndt’s semen.
The fact that the DNA test took nearly 7 months is one of the reasons why investigators say it took so long to actually make an arrest in this case.
Berndt’s criminal defense attorney will face an uphill battle when this case goes to trial. Berndt faces up to 8 years in prison for each of the 23 counts against him. He would also have to register as a sex offender, though the odds of him ever getting out of prison if he is convicted are very low.
