Man arrested on molestation, child porn charges
A Newport Beach man who taught at Santa Ana schools was arrested Thursday for allegedly molesting two teenage girls and possessing child pornography, authorities said.
Alex Bassinne, 50, is accused of touching the buttocks of a 15-year-old girl during a class trip in 2009, and looking down the shirt of a 13-year-old girl in 2010, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said when the 13-year-old tried to move her shirt away so Bassinne couldn’t see down it, Bassinne allegedly grabbed the shirt and positioned it so he could see down it again.
During his time at Santa Ana High and Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate schools, Bassinne allegedly made sexual comments and leered at students, the D.A.’s office said.
In 2011, Bassinne and his family moved from Laguna Niguel to Newport Beach, and the man allegedly left a disk at the old house containing graphic child pornography involving girls ages 10 to 12.
Bassinne posted $100,000 bail Thursday and is scheduled to be arraigned June 15 in Orange County Superior Court, prosecutors said.
The Newport Beach and Santa Ana Unified School District Police departments are working together to find any other victims. Anyone with information is asked to call NBPD Det.David Syvock at (949) 644-3771, SAUSDPD Sgt. Manuel Chavez at (714) 558-5739 or supervising investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.
Twitter: @lawilliams30