ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A former St. Johns County day care employee faces over a dozen charges, accused of molesting several students at the school.
Anthony Josiah Guadalupe was accused of just one count of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor when he was arrested in late July; now, there are 13 more charges.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
This comes two months after parents of several alleged victims filed a lawsuit against The Chappell School.
That civil lawsuit filed against The Chappell School back in August accused the day care of knowing what was going on, but did nothing about it.
Guadalupe, 19, now faces 14 total charges in this case after court documents show there are more alleged victims.
RELATED: Day care employee accused of inappropriately touching girl at school, St. Johns deputies say
We tried to go inside The Chappell School for more answers on Wednesday, but were told to leave by a man carrying a letter from the property landlord.
Action News Jax’s Nick Gibson spoke with a grandparent who picked her grandchild up from this same school. She said this news was very surprising.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that something could even happen to our babies,” Daniela Carbonell said.
RELATED: Nine families sue St. Johns private preschool following arrest of employee for molesting child
According to documents sent to Action News Jax from the State Attorney’s Office, these incidents involving Guadalupe happened between May and July of this year.
At least nine families have sued The Chappell School since Guadalupe was first charged.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The lawsuit didn’t name Guadalupe in it, but rather the school instead.
We reached out to Dale Carson, a former police officer, current defense attorney and Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert, to ask why he thinks this is the case.
“If the defendant in this particular matter is not listed on the previous litigation, this would be something new and may add evidence to that suit if it’s not already concluded,” Carson said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Carson adds if Guadalupe is convicted of all charges, he could face significant jail time.
“These are extraordinarily serious charges. They are first-degree felony charges and multiple other charges could result in 30 to life,” Carson said.
Guadalupe is currently being held without bond in the St. Johns County Jail. According to court documents, his next court appearance is Nov. 3.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
