Former childcare worker re-arrested after second sexual abuse victim identified
A former local childcare worker previously arrested in June on a count of child sexual abuse has been re-arrested after law enforcement identified a second victim, according to John Hall, public information officer for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
28-year-old Palm Desert resident Devin Lujan was first arrested on June 28 on the 74000 block of Scholar Lane on suspicion of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10. He was re-arrested on July 12 after a second victim was identified, and now faces five felony charges: two counts of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10, two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, and one count of willful harm of a child.
He is being held on $5,000,000 bail. After his first arrest, he was held on $55,000.
Following the initial arrest, it came to light that Lujan had worked in local childcare extensively; most recently, he worked at Bermuda Dunes Learning Center, where he abruptly resigned the day after his arrest. He had also worked at College of the Desert in the school’s child development center, and had been a parent volunteer at George Washington Charter school in Palm Desert.
According to representatives from the Bermuda Dunes Learning Center, College of the Desert, and Desert Sand Unified School District, Lujan passed screening processes to enter his positions.
Lujan was arraigned on the new charges on Monday and pleaded not guilty to all counts. He is set to return to court at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on August 28 for a felony settlement conference.
Also arrested on June 28 was 31-year-old James Anderson. Anderson was also a parent volunteer at George Washington Charter school. According to county jail records, he faces one felony count of sending harmful material to a minor and a count of indecent exposure.
According to Lujan’s arrest warrant declaration, he was reported to law enforcement by someone who was dating Anderson.
