Assistant principal in San Bernardino County arrested on child sex abuse charges

An assistant principal at a high school in San Bernardino County has been arrested on charges of repeatedly sexually abusing a girl who was 7 and 8 years old at the time of the alleged crimes, authorities said.

Matthew Lin Johnson, a 42-year-old assistant principal at Oak Hills High School, was charged last week with continuous sexual abuse of a minor, including lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Johnson was booked at the county jail and was being held without bail.

There is no evidence at this time Johnson has had any “inappropriate contact with students at the school,” authorities said.

The girl, who is now 10 years old, alerted sheriff’s officials that she had been sexually abused, prompting an investigation, authorities said. Johnson, a resident of Apple Valley, was identified as the suspect, according to officials.

Officials said anyone with additional information was encouraged to contact Deputy Vanayes Quezada with the crimes against children detail of the specialized investigations division at (909) 387-3615. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call the WeTip Hotline at (800) 782-7463 or visit the WeTip website.