Fresno elementary school teacher faces new charges of molesting students during class

A longtime Fresno elementary school teacher pleaded not guilty Tuesday to sexually molesting five students during class, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office confirmed.

Initial felony charges against Aaron Butler listed four alleged victims, but prosecutors on Tuesday formally charged him with molesting a fifth student.

The allegations against the Gibson Elementary School teacher date back to at least 2014 and occurred during class time. Investigators believe all of the victims were between 7 and 9 years old, according to Fresno police.

Butler has worked for Fresno Unified since 1999, according to the district.

According to the complaint, investigators believe most of the alleged illegal sex acts occurred between 2014 and 2017. A time frame for the fifth alleged victim was not immediately available Tuesday.

Butler has been on leave from the district since his arrest in December last year. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in March suspended Butler’s teaching credential for “misconduct.”

FUSD officials have said they’re supporting the investigation.

“The recent arrest of a Fresno Unified employee is extremely disturbing and does not reflect the professional expectations we have for the adults in our system,” Fresno Unified said in a statement in December following Butler’s arrest. “In the event these allegations are proven factual, the District will take swift and appropriate action.”

If convicted, Butler would be required to register as a sex offender.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Hammerschmidt said his client is set to appear in court again Oct. 26. Hammerschmidt has said Butler denied any wrongdoing.

“Mr. Butler has taught many hundreds of students before and after the alleged wrongful conduct. The allegations are that all of the conduct occurred in a classroom full of students. No student reported any misconduct at or near the time of the alleged events,” Hammerschmidt said in a statement earlier this year. “Mr. Butler has devoted more than 20 years of his life to teaching students, and he denies any wrongdoing whatsoever.”

Butler remains free on bail.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 12:31 PM.