A Washington special education substitute teacher has been arrested for the second time after another alleged victim accused him of sexual assault.
Robert Scroggs, a 73-year-old who worked as a substitute teacher for the Bellevue School District, was first arrested on June 7 after a mother said he had molested her eight-year-old, KOMO News reported.
While working at Newport Heights Elementary School from January to April 2024, the Bellevue Police Department said that Scroggs “would often take the victim out of class to address the child’s social, emotional, and behavioral issues. It was there where Scroggs would allegedly molest the minor.”
A second alleged victim, a nine-year-old girl at the same school, recently came forward to say that she had also been inappropriately touched during class, the police department said in a press release.
Scroggs was arrested again on June 24 on a second charge of child molestation in the first degree.
It was unclear if the former teacher was set free without bail after his first arrest or if he paid bail to get let out.
Chief of the Bellevue Police Department Wendell Shirley said:
In law enforcement, we often preach “when you see something, say something.” Thanks to our partnership with residents and the Bellevue community, Officers were able to hold accountable an individual for committing heinous crimes on some of our most vulnerable. Let this serve as an example to everyone that if someone doubts your safety or well-being to contact law enforcement immediately.
Bellevue police have encouraged more people to come forward with any additional information, as they suspect Scroggs has more victims out there.
