A newly hired assistant high school basketball coach was arrested in Simi Valley on Thursday on suspicion of engaging in sexual acts with two underage girls, officials said.
Jabari DeShields, 36, allegedly met the victims at a local business outside of school hours, the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement.
DeShields had been recently hired as an assistant walk-on boys basketball coach for Simi Valley High School this school year, said Jake Finch, spokesperson for Simi Valley Unified School District.
As a walk-on coach, DeShields did not hold a class at the school.
He was booked at Ventura County Jail on suspicion of five felony counts of lewd acts on a minor aged 14.
Simi Valley police became aware of the allegations when a mandated reporter alerted officials to the allegations, according to a statement.
According to Simi Valley police, the two victims had been enrolled at Simi Valley Unified School District at the time of the alleged conduct, but the victims were not enrolled at the school where DeShields was employed.
He was placed on leave when district officials were notified of the criminal investigation, Finch said.
Officials did not release information on the victims, but said one of them is enrolled with the school district’s independent studies program. The second victim is not currently a SVUSD student.
DeShields was being held in Ventura County jail in lieu of $120,000 bail, according to jail records. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday.
